Zec 4:4-6 | NETfull | STEP | Then I asked the messenger who spoke with me, “What are these, sir?”

Zechariah 4:4-6

4 Then I asked the messenger who spoke with me, “What are these, ^{▼▼ Here these must refer to the lamps, since the identification of the olive trees is left to vv. 11–14.} sir?” 5 He replied, “Don’t you know what these are?” So I responded, “No, sir.” 6 Therefore he told me, “These signify the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by strength and not by power, but by my Spirit,’ ^{▼▼ It is premature to understand the Spirit here as the Holy Spirit (the third Person of the Trinity), though the OT prepares the way for that NT revelation (cf. Gen 1:2; Exod 23:3; 31:3; Num 11:17–29; Judg 3:10; 6:34; 2 Kgs 2:9, 15, 16; Ezek 2:2; 3:12; 11:1, 5).} says the Lord who rules over all.”