Study Desk

Can't you see why this has happened?

The Lord says, "Can't you see what has happened to you? Before you started to rebuild the Temple,

Today is the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, the day that the foundation of the Temple has been completed. See what is going to happen from now on.

"Where are you going?" I asked. "To measure Jerusalem," he answered, "to see how long and how wide it is."

"What do you see?" he asked. "A lampstand made of gold," I answered. "At the top is a bowl for the oil. On the lampstand are seven lamps, each one with places for seven wicks.

"Don't you know?" he asked me. "No, I don't, sir," I replied. The angel said to me, "The seven lamps are the seven eyes of the Lord , which see all over the earth." Then I asked him, "What do the two olive trees on either side of the lampstand mean? And what is the meaning of the two olive branches beside the two gold pipes from which the olive oil pours?" He asked me, "Don't you know?" "No, I don't, sir," I answered. Then he said, "These are the two men whom God has chosen and anointed to serve him, the Lord of the whole earth."

He said, "Zerubbabel has laid the foundation of the Temple, and he will finish the building. When this happens, my people will know that it is I who sent you to them. They are disappointed because so little progress is being made. But they will see Zerubbabel continuing to build the Temple, and they will be glad."

The angel said to me, "The seven lamps are the seven eyes of the Lord , which see all over the earth."

Then he said, "These are the two men whom God has chosen and anointed to serve him, the Lord of the whole earth." The angel told me to give Zerubbabel this message from the Lord : "You will succeed, not by military might or by your own strength, but by my spirit. Obstacles as great as mountains will disappear before you. You will rebuild the Temple, and as you put the last stone in place, the people will shout, ‘Beautiful, beautiful!'" Another message came to me from the Lord . He said, "Zerubbabel has laid the foundation of the Temple, and he will finish the building. When this happens, my people will know that it is I who sent you to them. They are disappointed because so little progress is being made. But they will see Zerubbabel continuing to build the Temple, and they will be glad."

"Long ago I gave these commands to my people: ‘You must see that justice is done, and must show kindness and mercy to one another.

The city of Ashkelon will see this and be afraid. The city of Gaza will see it and suffer great pain. So will Ekron, and her hopes will be shattered. Gaza will lose her king, and Ashkelon will be left deserted.

The people of Israel are going to see this with their own eyes, and they will say, "The Lord is mighty even outside the land of Israel!"

The Lord Almighty answers, "I will send my messenger to prepare the way for me. Then the Lord you are looking for will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger you long to see will come and proclaim my covenant."

Bring the full amount of your tithes to the Temple, so that there will be plenty of food there. Put me to the test and you will see that I will open the windows of heaven and pour out on you in abundance all kinds of good things.

As we see it, proud people are the ones who are happy. Evil people not only prosper, but they test God's patience with their evil deeds and get away with it.'"

Once again my people will see the difference between what happens to the righteous and to the wicked, to the person who serves me and the one who does not."

The people who live in darkness will see a great light. On those who live in the dark land of death the light will shine."

"Happy are the pure in heart; they will see God!

In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.

"Make certain you do not perform your religious duties in public so that people will see what you do. If you do these things publicly, you will not have any reward from your Father in heaven.