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. 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. 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? 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? 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." (Zech. iv.)

Now the very high importance of this sublime representation is clearly proved by its just interpretation not having been left to the feeble comments of our unassisted intellect, for we find it accompanied by an heavenly interpreter. An angel talked with Zechariah, and inquired what he saw? On the prophet's describing the symbolic vision, and requesting an explanation of it, he, as though somewhat surprised at his ignorance, replied, Knowest thou not what these be? and on Zechariah answering, No, my lord, he informed him that the seven lamps conjoined on the bowl, wherewith the golden candlestick was on the top surmounted; and the seven pipes,

united to the seven lamps which were upon the top thereof, were designed to typify the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth. We may therefore presume, that the candlestick symboled that glorious luminary the Father of all lights; and the golden bowl that blessed font, from whence descendeth every perfect gift-apt emblems of the glorious Source of light, and glorious Source of good: as also were the lamps and pipes of those blessed eyes, which continually watch over us for good.

Furthermore, this interpretation is again confirmed, by the answer given to Zechariah's inquiry respecting the two olive trees upon the right side of the bowl, and upon the left side thereof; (showing by the bowl and candlestick being thus spoken of as closely and inseparably conjoined, that they were one and the same type;) and upon the prophet's repeating the inquiry with increased solicitude, and a more minute depiction of the glorious symbol than that in which his first inquiry was couched, What be these two olive branches, which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? the angel, after putting his former interrogatory, Knowest thou not what these be? and being answered, No, my lord; further explained, These are the two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth; thus, a second time identifying the bowl and candlestick as representative of the Lord of the whole earth.*

* This explanation very powerfully supports the probability of the golden candlestick, (which was placed in the holy place

Now our present inquiry strongly suggests that these two anointed ones branching from out the

directly opposite to the royal table, on which was laid the representative bread of life,) being designed to typify the glorious and continual visible presence of that bright luminary, the filial Deity in this pure, holy clime; which conjecture is strongly supported both by the Scripture records and the recital of Josephus. In the first, we find a candlestick of pure gold commanded to be made; his shaft and his branches coming out of the sides of it, three on one side and three on the other; "And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof, and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it." (Ex. xxv. 37.) "And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always. In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail," (that is, where the spirits of good men after death, are said to be ever with the Lord,) "which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the Lord: it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel," (Ex. xxvii. 20, 21;) in whose behalf that glorious luminary the filial Deity continually does plead. And Josephus describes the golden. candlestick as being wrought with "bowls, lilies, pomegranates, and little cups then arising upwards from its base, it was divided into seven branches; it stretched also into seven heads, having orderly correspondence the one with the other, on which were planted seven candles." These symbols so parallel to that which was beheld by Zechariah, and which we know was typical of Almighty God, increase the probability of the supposition stated, and gives very just ground to suspect, that the candlestick affixed in the holy place, was a type of God the Son. The vision of St. John is also again synonymous: he saw seven golden candlesticks, and in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, one like unto the Son of man. (Rev. i. 12, 13.) In chap. ii. ver. 1, it is said, " who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks," which we are informed in the last verse of the preceding chapter, were representative of the seven churches; and that all sacred sanctuaries devoted to God's worship, are

bowl and candlestick, and consequently thereto conjoined by an indissoluble union, (for the figure of a branch, clearly depicts an indissoluble union with the stem from whence it doth proceed,) must be symbolic of the filial and consoling Deity; for who can answer the description portrayed like these two ever-glorious persons; and this interpretation, we think, the sacred volume does most powerfully support. The Son of God proceedeth forth, and branches out from God: the very station assigned by the magnific type now under contemplation, to the right hand branch, is that which Scripture, in various instances, proclaims as being filled by the glorious Son of God, who, we are expressly told, is set down on the right hand of the Majesty on high, and whom Stephen beheld, standing on the right hand of God.

The filial Deity is also denominated the anointed of the Lord: "the kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against his anointed." God has anointed his beloved Son with the Holy Ghost and with power. The branch of the Lord is like

honoured and illumined by (to the Israelites his visible, though to us invisible) presence. We are distinctly told, "Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them,” (Ex. xxv. 8;) and on its completion," the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle." (xl. 34.) There he has set his name, and hearkens unto prayer: where two or three are gathered together in his name, He is in the midst of them. This presence of God in churches, renders the type of the candlesticks a very appropriate representation of those sanctuaries in which the Father of lights does condescend to dwell, and illumine the worshippers therein with the wisdom from above-He is there in the midst of them.

wise an emblem frequently employed as descriptive of the filial Deity: "In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious." (Isa. iv. 2.) And in the preceding chapter to that we are now commenting on, it is said, "Behold, I will bring forth my servant the branch." These descriptions do, we conceive, very powerfully concur to prove, that the anointed olive branch which branches forth on the right hand from the resplendent symbol of the Lord of the whole earth, was designed as representative of his adored Son: and these allusions still hold further good; for an olive branch is an appropriate emblem of another of the titles of the benignant Son of God, namely, the blessed Prince of Peace. That by the olive branch on the lefthand side the bowl and candlestick, is meant the third great spiritual person of the hallowed Trinity, cannot, (if the remarks just stated respecting the right-hand symbol be allowed just,) admit of any doubt; for who can answer the description of the left-hand olive branch, depicted as it is on an equality with that on the right side, but the consoling Deity, whom we have found Scripture announcing as equal with the blessed filial One in the glory of his nature and the greatness of his attributes; who, like the Son, proceedeth forth and branches from the Father; who lives, and reigns, and acts as coadjutor with the Father and the Son; and into whose name we have been baptized conjointly with the Almighty Father and the Almighty Son.

Again; the description is in a further instance