By identifying the two witnesses as “the two olive trees and the two candlesticks that stand before the Lord of the earth,” the Scripture not only reveals to us their identity—Israel and the church—but also relates the ministry of the church to the ministries of “Zerubbabel”―the governor or civic leader of Israel during the rebuilding of the Jewish temple―and “Joshua”―the high priest or religious leader of Israel during the rebuilding of the Jewish temple (Zechariah 4:1-14).

Israel—God’s lone light to the world and witness in the world during the time of the Old Covenant—is represented by the single candlestick in Zechariah’s vision.

According to the Prophet Zechariah, the new temple could not be built in his day by man’s “might” or “power”; that is, by human ingenuity (brain), ability (brawn), or resources (bankroll). It could only be built by God’s “Spirit.”

It was the power (oil) of God’s Spirit that illuminated God’s people in Zechariah’s day as God’s light to a dark world. It was also the power (oil) of God’s Spirit that enabled God’s people in Zechariah’s day to build God’s temple in the world. Furthermore, it was the power (oil) of God’s Spirit that empowered God’s people in Zechariah’s day to prevail over obstacles and opposition.

God promised to level even the most mountainous opposition to the rebuilding of His house in the days of Zechariah. In Matthew 17:20, Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” Christ is not speaking here of a literal mountain, but of mountainous opposition.

According to Zechariah, “the headstone” (capstone) of God’s new house would be laid to shouts and cries of “Grace, grace unto it.” It is only by God’s grace that God’s people are able to prevail and persevere. This explains Paul’s words to Timothy, “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:1).

If God’s people in Zechariah’s day prevailed and persevered by obeying God’s admonition not to “despise” nor to be discouraged in “the day of small things,” then, God promised them that the glory of the new temple would far exceed that of the former temple (Haggai 2:1-9). Consequently, all who saw God’s new house would be forced to say, “This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes” (Psalm 118:23).

Whereas Israel—God’s lone light to the world and witness in the world during the Old Covenant—was represented by the single candlestick in Zechariah’s vision, the church—God’s lone light to the world and witness in the world today, during the time of the New Covenant—is represented by the second or additional candlestick in Revelation 11:4.

The new temple—the church—cannot be built by man’s “might” or “power”; that is, by (1) Madison Avenue marketing technics (2) the latest church growth strategy (3) entertaining church services, or (4) impressive church edifices. Instead, the new temple can only be built by God’s “Spirit.”

It is the power (oil) of God’s Spirit that illuminates us as God’s lights in this dark world.

Christ—the Messiah or Anointed One—was “the Light of the world.”

• “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
• “In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not….That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” (John 1:4-5, 9)

Christ individually possessed the complete anointing of the Holy Spirit. This is clearly shown in the Scripture, where Christ is pictured as having “seven horns” and “seven eyes,” which we are told represent “the seven Spirits of God.” “Horns” in the Scripture represent “power.” “Eyes” obviously represent the ability to see or perceive. And the number “seven” represents “completeness” or “fullness.” Thus, the Bible portrays Christ, which means the anointed One, as He who possesses the complete anointing of the Holy Spirit. He is omnipotent (all-powerful), as the “seven horns” symbolize, and omniscient (all-knowing), as the “seven eyes” symbolize.

• “And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth” (Revelation 5:6).
• “For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him” (John 3:34).

Christians—the anointed ones—are now “the Light of the world.”

• Before His Ascension, Christ was the Light of the world—“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:5).
• Following Christ’s Ascension and the empowering of the church by the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, Christians became the light of the world —“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).

Unlike Christ, Christians do not individually possess the complete anointing of the Holy Spirit. However, we do possess the complete anointing of the Holy Spirit corporately, as the church.

• “And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God” (Revelation 4:5).
• “The mystery of the seven…golden candlesticks… The candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches” (Revelation 1:20).
• “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 his seven lamps thereon…those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth” (Zechariah 4:2, 10).
• “And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne  and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.” (Revelation 5:6).

Notice, the burning candlesticks are symbolic of both the complete anointing of the Holy Spirit and the church—the corporate body of believers. This not only shows the complete anointing of the church by the Holy Spirit of God, but also the indivisible union between the Holy Spirit and the saints, both individually and corporately.

• Individually — “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).
• Corporately — “In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:21).

Christians individually possess the Spirit by “measure”— “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore…When he ascended up on high he…gave gifts unto men…And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come…unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ…[and] grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” (Ephesians 4:7-16).

It takes all Christians together for the church to be the light of the world that it ought to be. It takes all Christians together for the church to be the witness to the world that it ought to be.

Just as Christ was anointed to preach the Gospel—“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor…” (Luke 4:18)—the church has been anointed to preach the Gospel—“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The church’s witnessing ministry began at Pentecost and will continue until the church has preached the gospel to “the whole world as a testimony to all nations” (Matthew 24:14), something symbolized in Scripture by the sending out of “the seven Spirits of God…into all the earth.”

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