principles and powers, yet being `of fire, the sun, may lo The eir parent source. n of Scripture, presenting should we cons material similitude. The symbolic portraiture to which we refer, is contained in the 4th chapter of the prophecy of that highly distinguished and illuminated servant of God, the prophet Zechariah, of whom it is specially recorded, that the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, (2 Chron. xxiv. 20;) and that Zechariah had understanding in the visions of God. (2 Chron. xxvi. 5.) We shall now transcribe the chapter: "And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, 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, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: and two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord? Then the angel that talked with me, answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then he answered This is the word of and spake unto me, saying, the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it. Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you. For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven: they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth. Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth." (Zech. iv.) Now the very high importance of this sublime representation is clearly proved by its just interpretation not having been left to the feeble comments of our unassisted intellect, for we find it accompanied by an heavenly interpreter. An angel talked with Zechariah, and inquired what he saw? On the prophet's describing the symbolic vision, and requesting an explanation of it, he, as though somewhat surprised at his ignorance, replied, Knowest thou not what these be? and on Zechariah answering, No, my lord, he informed him that the seven lamps conjoined on the bowl, wherewith the golden candlestick was on the top surmounted; and the seven pipes, united to the seven lamps which were upon the top thereof, were designed to typify the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth. We may therefore presume, that the candlestick symboled that glorious luminary the Father of all lights; and the golden bowl that blessed font, from whence descendeth every perfect gift-apt emblems of the glorious Source of light, and glorious Source of good: as also were the lamps and pipes of those blessed eyes, which continually watch over us for good. Furthermore, this interpretation is again confirmed, by the answer given to Zechariah's inquiry respecting the two olive trees upon the right side of the bowl, and upon the left side thereof; (showing by the bowl and candlestick being thus spoken of as closely and inseparably conjoined, that they were one and the same type;) and upon the prophet's repeating the inquiry with increased solicitude, and a more minute depiction of the glorious symbol than that in which his first inquiry was couched, What be these two olive branches, which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? the angel, after putting his former interrogatory, Knowest thou not what these be? and being answered, No, my lord; further explained, These are the two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth; thus, a second time identifying the bowl and candlestick as representative of the Lord of the whole earth.* * This explanation very powerfully supports the probability of the golden candlestick, (which was placed in the holy place Now our present inquiry strongly suggests that these two anointed ones branching from out the directly opposite to the royal table, on which was laid the representative bread of life,) being designed to typify the glorious and continual visible presence of that bright luminary, the filial Deity in this pure, holy clime; which conjecture is strongly supported both by the Scripture records and the recital of Josephus. In the first, we find a candlestick of pure gold commanded to be made; his shaft and his branches coming out of the sides of it, three on one side and three on the other; "And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof, and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it." (Ex. xxv. 37.) "And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always. In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail," (that is, where the spirits of good men after death, are said to be ever with the Lord,) "which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the Lord: it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel," (Ex. xxvii. 20, 21;) in whose behalf that glorious luminary the filial Deity continually does plead. And Josephus describes the golden candlestick as being wrought with "bowls, lilies, pomegranates, and little cups then arising upwards from its base, it was divided into seven branches; it stretched also into seven heads, having orderly correspondence the one with the other, on which were planted seven candles." These symbols so parallel to that which was beheld by Zechariah, and which we know was typical of Almighty God, increase the probability of the supposition stated, and gives very just ground to suspect, that the candlestick affixed in the holy place, was a type of God the Son. The vision of St. John is also again synonymous: he saw seven golden candlesticks, and in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, one like unto the Son of man. (Rev. i. 12, 13.) In chap. ii. ver. 1, it is said, " who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks," which we are informed in the last verse of the preceding chapter, were representative of the seven churches; and that all sacred sanctuaries devoted to God's worship, are |