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| 1 And once more the messenger who was speaking with me, roused me up, just as a man might be roused up out of his sleep. |
The angel – Our returned Lord (perhaps a reference here to the fact that our Lord speaks to the church through a messenger, i.e., Pastor Russell.)
As a man that is wakened out of his sleep – "They all slumbered and slept... Behold the Bridegroom!" – This is the second advent. |
| 2 Then said he unto me, What canst thou see? And I said–I have looked, and lo! a Lampstand–all of gold, with the Bowl thereof upon the top thereof, and its Seven Lamps upon it, Seven Pipes each, to the lamps which are upon the top thereof; |
A candlestick – The one true church of God.
All of gold – These are under Divine care and eventually reach the Divine nature (gold.)
Seven lamps – In Revelation (1:12-13) this same picture is described as seven golden candlesticks. |
| 3 and, Two Olive-trees, by it,–one upon the right hand of the bowl, and one upon the left hand thereof. |
Two olive trees – The Old and New Testaments. The Word of God prior to and after Jesus first advent. Both of these feed, give oil (the holy spirit) to the church (golden candlestick.) |
| 4 Then responded I, and said unto the messenger who was speaking with me, saying,–What are these, my lord? |
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| 5 Then answered the messenger who was speaking with me, and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these, are? And I said, No my lord. |
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| 6 Then responded he, and spake unto me, saying, This, is the word of Yahweh, unto Zerubbabel, saying,–Not by wealth, nor by strength, but by my spirit, saith Yahweh of hosts. |
By my spirit – The spirit of the Truth, the Word of God. Eph. 6:17 |
| 7 Who, art, thou, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel, [brought down] to a plain! So shall he bring forth the headstone, with thundering shouts Beautiful! Beautiful! thereunto. |
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| 8 Then came the word of Yahweh unto me, saying: |
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| 9 The hands of Zerubbabel, have founded this house, and, his hands, shall finish it,–So shalt thou know that, Yahweh of hosts, hath sent me unto you. |
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| 10 For who hath despised the day of small things? Yet shall they rejoice, when they see the plummet-stone in the hand of Zerubbabel,–these seven! The eyes of Yahweh, they are–running to and fro throughout all the earth. |
Day of small things – 'Do not despise these small beginnings' [New Living Translation, Jubilee Bible]; 'Who despised the day when little things began to happen' [God's Word] - See R2522 |
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| 11 Then responded I, and said unto him,–What are these two olive-trees, upon the right of the lampstand, and upon the left thereof? |
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| 12 And I responded a second time, and said unto him,–What are the two branches of the olive-trees which join the two golden tubes, which empty out of them the golden oil? |
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| 13 And he spake unto me, saying, Knowest thou not what these are? And I said, No, my lord. |
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| 14 Then said he, These, are the two Anointed Ones,–who stand near the Lord of all the earth. |
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