Ver. 1. And the angel that talked with me] [See Trapp on “Zec 1:9”] Came again] After some absence, as it may seem; and a new vision or revelation received from God to be imparted to the prophet. And waked me, as a man that is wakened, &c.] It fared with the prophet (notwithstanding the former visions) as with a drowsy person; who though awakened and set to work, is ready to fall asleep at it. So Peter, James, and John (those pillars, as they are called, Galatians 2:9), fell asleep at their very prayers, Matthew 26:40, such dull metal are the best men made of; and so weak is the flesh, be the spirit never so willing; so ill disposed is our most noble and immortal part, the soul, to supernal and supernatural employments. Meditation and prayer are the creatures of the Holy Ghost, Jude 20; and that we may not run out into extravagancies, or put up yawning petitions, we must watch and pray, Matthew 26:41, yea, watch while we are praying, meditating, &c., against corruption within (the sin that doth so easily beset us, Hebrews 12:1) and temptations without, whether from the world, the things whereof are so near us and so natural to us, or from the devil, who is ever busiest with the best, as flies are with sweetmeats, and with the best part of their best performances, as in the end of their prayers, when the heart should close up itself with most comfort.
Ver. 2. What seest thou?] The sight was already in sight; but the prophet had not seen it, or noted it, if the angel had not stirred him up to it. If the Lord give us not sight as well as light, if he enlighten not both organ and object too, if he shine not into our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of himself in the face of Jesus Christ, 2 Corinthians 4:5, seeing we shall see, but not perceive; with Hagar, we shall not be able to discern the fountain that is just before us. I have looked] Carefully viewed the sight. It is expected ut acti agamus; that having a talent of grace we trade with it; that our will, which at first conversion was merely passive, should be afterward active; that we, which once were darkness, but now are light in the Lord, shall walk as children of light, Ephesians 5:8. Behold a candlestick] That is, the Church, as Revelation 1:20. All of gold] Pure gold as the candlestick in the tabernacle, Exodus 25:31, which is therefore called the pure candlestick, Leviticus 24:4 Ex 31:8, noting out the Church’s purity in doctrine and manners. Chrysostom, that golden preacher, testifieth of some saints in his time, that they were puriores caelo, purer than the visible heaven. “Her Nazarites were purer than the driven snow, whiter than milk, ruddier than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire,” Lamentations 4:7. With a bowl] Heb. gullah, an oil glass or oil cruse; a hollow round vessel, quod pariter Latine recte gulam appellas, saith a Lapide; which you may not unfitly call a gullet, or throat; for as the throat receiveth the food and transmitteth it to the stomach, so did this vessel receive the oil to be transmitted to the lamps. It figured Christ, in whom it pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell, Colossians 1:19, for the Church’s use, John 1:16 3:34. And his seven lamps thereon] Signifying the manifold graces and diversity of gifts in the Church by the same Spirit of Christ, 1 Corinthians 12:4,6 “For of his fulness we all receive grace for grace,” John 1:16. And seven pipes to the seven lamps] Heb. seven and seven, that is, seven, I say seven, by the figure anadiplosis, a repetition of the same word, saith Sanetius. This is a better gloss than that of those that say the Hebrew text is corrupted; as having two sevens for one. These seven pipes you must imagine to be in the bottom of the bowl, to distribute the oil to each lamp; the grace of Jesus Christ to each Christian, that he may shine as a lamp or luminary in the world, holding forth the word of life, Philippians 2:15,16, as the hand doth the torch, or the watch tower the light, and so the haven, to weather beaten mariners.
Ver. 3. And two olive trees by it] The two chief branches whereof through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves, Zechariah 4:12, that is, the Spirit of grace infuseth all precious graces (much more precious than gold that perisheth, though it be tried in the fire) into the Church. Hence grace is called the fruits of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22, yea, Spirit, Galatians 5:25. Danaeus’s note here is, though from these two olive trees there was continual oil poured into that burning candlestick that it should never dry up or be put out, yet are not these olives said to be pressed by any man, which notwithstanding, among us, must needs after an ordinary manner be done, that the oil may flow or run from them. Neither is this oil said to flow, nor with toil and labour to be carried from one part or place into another, that there may be always oil for the candlestick; but there stand these olive trees growing, and dropping down oil into the bowl, and this of themselves, without the help or service of any men or oil mills; to show, saith another interpreter, that God’s grace only is sufficient for his Church, to repair and maintain the same without all other means, against all opposition of man; and this is the scope of this vision.