“This is the word of the Lord to aZerubbabel:
b‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’
Says the Lord of hosts.
Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!
And he shall bring forth bthe capstone
cWith shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ’ ”
aHave laid the foundation of this1 temple;
His hands bshall also finish it.
Then cyou will know
That the dLord of hosts has sent Me to you.
For these seven rejoice to see
The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
bThey are the eyes of the Lord,
Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”
| << Zechariah 4:6 | Zechariah 4:8 >> |
What Does Zechariah 4:7 Mean?
Zechariah 4:7
"Grace, grace" - In the Hebrew, this is literally "favor, favor." Perhaps more literally, it should be rendered "beauty, beauty." In the Psalms, there is a concept called "the beauty of holiness" (see Psalm 29:2; 96:9; 110:3), which is connected to this "grace, grace." However, this instance is a reiteration of what is said in verse 6, that it is only by God's gifts and favor that the work will be accomplished.
The Hebrew language repeats itself a great deal—putting ideas in a slightly different way, in parallel, so that we can understand just how things are to be understood. What this means is that it is by God's grace—by His Spirit, by His favor, by His gifts, that the Temple will be completed and ready for God to inhabit. Zerubbabel should not fear anything. It will be done through God's help.
However, we have to link this with the lamps around the central pillar, which is the passage's main theme. The prophecy goes beyond Zerubbabel to the New Testament church—specifically, down to the end-time church. The passage progresses toward the Two Witnesses—the two anointed ones—at the end of this chapter. And much like Revelation 10 and 11, it starts out with an early work and ends with their worldwide work. The early work has to do with completing the Temple, and the later work has to do with a witness for God before the whole world.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
The Two Witnesses (Part Four)
Zechariah 4:7
God next speaks of the "capstone" or "headstone." Some people have assumed that this was a foundation stone, but it is not. God is speaking about finishing the temple, not starting it. This is not the cornerstone, which is installed in the foundation, but the finishing stone—the very last one set. It can also be called the gable stone or even the keystone that would finish an archway. It is a symbol of completion.
In this case, it represents the Temple being sufficiently ready for God's habitation. This ought to be clear. He is alluding to the preparation of the church for God's Kingdom. He is being encouraging, not only to Zerubbabel, that he would finish the Temple, but also to the Two Witnesses far in the future, that their job of measuring the Temple, the altar, and the worshippers will be successful. They will be successful by "grace, grace"—double grace. Their work will be accomplished only by an extra measure of God's grace.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
The Two Witnesses (Part Four)
| << Zechariah 4:6 | Zechariah 4:8 >> |
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