translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: ZEC

label: NET study note

text: The vision apparently describes two olive trees providing olive oil by pipes to a large basin atop the menorah. From this basin two pipes extend to each of the seven lamps of the menorah, for a total of fourteen pipes in all. See vv. 11-12 .


text: Here these must refer to the lamps, since the identification of the olive trees is left to vv. 11-14 .


text: 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 ).


text: In context, the great mountain here must be viewed as a metaphor for the enormous task of rebuilding the temple and establishing the messianic kingdom (cf. TEV “Obstacles as great as mountains”).


text: Grace is a fitting response to the idea that it was “not by strength and not by power” but by God’s gracious Spirit that the work could be done (cf. v. 6 ).