The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1893-01-26
TIE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
International Lesson for January 20, 1888
The Snirit of the Iord-Zenh. A;l-1O.

The Spirit OF tho Lord-Zech. 4:1-1O.
GOLDEN TExT-Not by might, nor by powor,
but by my Spirit saith the Lord of hosts
zech. 4:6
TIME.-Marcb, B. c. b19. The twenty-fourth
day of the eleventh month, In the second year
of Darius Hystaspes The same night as our
last lesson.
Professionalism.
PLACE IN BIBLE HIsToRY.-Ezra, Chaps.
and 9, and just after the close Of Haggais proph-
ecy.
CIRCUMSTANCES Es.-Zeruboabel was building
the second temple Of Jerusalem amid formid-
able difficulties and great disbursements
mountains of perplexities from scantiness OF
workmen and material; mountains Of hindrance
from the intimidations and intrigues Of the
malicious Samaritans; mountains OF risk from
the jealousy Of the Persian power mountains
Of opposition from the weakness and
fears Of his own people. But the people
had been at work for five months, though
apparently discouraged and ready to revolt
against their leader; for 1t was long and cost
ly work in which they were engaged Zecha-
riah had had four visions, which we studied in
our last lesson, to arouse and encourage the
people. The next one, in to-days lesson, was
to inspire the people with confidence in their
leaders as divincly sustained, and the leaders
with confidence In their divine appointment to
the work, and to lead all to the true source Of
strength and success.
LESSON NOTES
The Vision Of the Golden Odndelabrum.
Behold candlestick. Rather a lamp
stand, candelabrum, formed in gen.
eral after a pattern of the seven
branched golden candlestick in the
tabernacle and the temple lex. 25:3l-
37). 1t was significant and impressive
vision the prophet Zechariah had He
sees candlestick of pure gold and inn
mense size, with it's seven lamps, burn
ing before him. Seven golden pipes
connect each lamp with bowl at the
top, which serves as reservoir for the
oil feeding them. Two olive trees
stand near the candlesticls, one on each
side, continually pouring out oil from
their branches into golden spouts in
clining from them into the bowl; SO
that the supply of oil in the candel-
abrum is never exhausted, and never
replenished from any other source.
The Golden Candsstiek. The golden
candlestick was represented on the arch
of Titus, and the careful copy made
under the direction of Roland in E1O,
and published in his work, 'De Spolis
TempG," gives probably the best idea
that can be formed of it. 1t was COM
posed of straight stem, rising perpen-
dicularly from base, and having on
either side of it three curved arms or
branches, all of them in the same plane,
and all rising to the same level. The
stem and arms were ornamented with
representations of almond flowers,
pomegranates, and lily blossoms. re-
peated as there was room for them, the
top ornament being in every case
lily blossom. which held henis-
pherical lamp. 1t was made of
talent of pure gold, worth TIVE nty-eight
thousand dollars. Upon the seven lamp
stands were seven golden lamps; the
ancient lamp being simply a bowl, not
unlike a gravy-boat in shape, with the
wick hanging over the spot There was
only one lamp stand, denoting the unity
of Gods people; but it had various
branches and lamps, denoting their
wpltiplieitsxy tsxyi i. YriittRWsrr bn those atIlar
was seven, the symbol o. vAha-- esSsn-
pleteness The church, each branch Of
the church, each heart, should be
''candle of the Lord" lighted by Him;
burning continually, because continual
ly fed from the beaten oil of the
sanctuary; shining in the dark places;
of pure, solid gold, very precious, true
incorruptible, sincere all through
The light. Light is mysterious in ma
ture, ineffably bright and glorious,
everywhere present, swift-winged, un-
defled and undefilable. Light is the
source of life, of beauty, of manifested
reality, of warmth, comfort and joy, of
health and of power. 1t destroys all
H., Il 5
clearness. Without it the world would
be but mass of coldneas and death
Now these few and feeble returned ex-
lies were the candlestick from which in
future ages the light was to shine
They were the chief light in that dark
world. Zechariah held "the tremen-
dous daring belief, says Prof. Elmslie,
'that the most important of the worlds
population in that era was the handful
of Jews mt Jerusalem; v that that
little community would do more in the
future history of the world than all the
mighty empires around them And
history proves that he was right.
THE Ofre Trees, one on each side of
the lamp, express the source of supply
The bowl of oil would soon be ex-
hausted, unless continual supply
flowed into it. The trees represent an
ineXhaustible fountain, connected with
the very nature of the creator.
The TtcO Branches, one from each
tree, which connected the tree with the
candelabrum, signifed, according to the
angels Interpretation (vers. 12-14), the
two anointed ones who would "natur-
ally be understood by the prophets
hearers to mean Zerubbabel and
Joshua; or the civil and the priestly Tor
reiigious) representatives of God on
earth; the state and the church. Perhaps
there is further meaning to be sought
in Paul's figure in Rom. 11:17-24, the
new graft on the old tree, and in the
figure in Rev. l1:4, where the language
is plainly borrowed from this vision in
Zechariah."
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
T. They are one iOined tO one head