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1The angel who talked with me came again and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. 2He said to me, “What do you see?”

I said, “I have seen, and behold, a lamp stand all of gold, with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it; there are seven pipes to each of the lamps which are on the top of it; 3and two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl, and the other on the left side of it.”

4I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?”

5Then the angel who talked with me answered me, “Don’t you know what these are?”

I said, “No, my lord.”

6Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, “This is Yahweh’s word to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says Yahweh of Armies. 7Who are you, great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you are a plain; and he will bring out the capstone with shouts of ‘Grace, grace, to it!’”

8Moreover Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 9“The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house. His hands shall also finish it; and you will know that Yahweh of Armies has sent me to you. 10Indeed, who despises the day of small things? For these seven shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. These are Yahweh’s eyes, which run back and forth through the whole earth.”

11Then I asked him, “What are these two olive trees on the right side of the lamp stand and on the left side of it?”

12I asked him the second time, “What are these two olive branches, which are beside the two golden spouts that pour the golden oil out of themselves?”

13He answered me, “Don’t you know what these are?”

I said, “No, my lord.”

14Then he said, “These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”

The Spirit of God in the Old Testament

The Spirit of God in the Old Testament

Biography | Zech 4:6 | Adam L. Myers

The Holy Spirit is eternally God and the third person of the Trinity. As such, He is fully divine with all of the nature, attributes and perfections of God. The Spirit of God is the one through whom God empowers His people, reveals His will, has revealed His Word, and imparts His personal presence among His people. He regenerates believers and works to glorify Jesus Christ.

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word רוּחַ ruach (wind, breath, spirit) is used to refer to the Spirit of God, as well as to the spirit of a person, the wind, or the breath of people or animals. The Holy Spirit often appears as a wind, such as in the division of the Red Sea for the Israelite people to pass through (Exod. 14:21; see also Gen. 1:2, 8:1; Ps. 104:3). Also in the Old Testament, the Spirit of God empowers or gifts individuals temporarily for specific roles or ministries, including Bezalel and Oholiab for the construction of the Tabernacle (Exod. 31:3), the strengthening of Israel’s heroes (Judges 14:6), and the inspiration of the prophetic words (Zech. 4:6). His continued indwelling and empowering of people was contingent upon their faithfulness to walk with Him (1 Sam. 16:14, Ps. 51:11).