The Olive Tree
Connection
In this
article we are going to study the two sticks that are mentioned in Ezekiel chapter
37 and the two trees from Zechariah chapter 4.
We will dig onto the scripture to see that the Olive tree is connected
to the people of God in the both the Old and New Testaments. We will discover that it is the most common
tree spoken of by the prophets and apostles in connection with God’s
people. We will connect this insight
with God’s plan to bring His people Israel and Judah and their companions (Christians
and Jews) together in Messiah Yeshua.
So what is the Olive Tree
connection?
The Two Sticks of
Wood
Ezek 37:15-17 The
word of Yahweh came to me: “Son of man, take a
stick of wood and write on it,
‘Belonging to Judah and the Israelites associated with him. ’ Then take another
stick of wood, and write on it,
‘Belonging to Joseph (that is, to Ephraim) and all the Israelites associated
with him.’ Join them together into one stick so that
they will become one in your hand.
What kind of wood did
Ezekiel use to carve this phrase on?
It is my
opinion the wood used for these sticks was olive wood. These two sticks were made from the branches
of an Olive Tree. The reason for making
the assumption about the sticks coming from an Olive Tree is because of the
references connecting the Olive Tree with Israel and the “gentiles” (those from the
nations), found in other places in scripture.
Most people
do not even know this obscure passage penned from the hand of Ezekiel is in the
Bible. Of those who are aware of it,
very few understand what this passage is referencing or who it is about.
Two Olive Trees
Zech 4:1-3 & 11-14 Now the angel who talked with me came
back and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. And he said to
me, “What do You see? So I said, “I am looking, and there is
lamp stand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to
the seven lamps. Two olive trees are
by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left.” Then I answered
and said to him, “What are
these two olive trees at
the right of the lampstand and at its left?” 12 And I further
answered and said to him, “What are
these two olive branches
that drip into the receptacles
of the two gold pipes from which the golden oil drains?”
Two questions are
asked……
- What are the TWO Olive Trees
- What are the TWO Olive Branches
The first
question is about the Olive Trees. The
word for Olive Tree is zayit. Zayit is
the general word for olive or Olive Tree.
The second
question is a bit more technical. Zechariah
is asking about the branches on the trees that are dripping into the golden pipes
that flow into the menorah.
The word branches
is the word Shibel in Hebrew. This word
means flowing cluster of fruit, not branch. The English word branches, leaves us
lacking proper understanding. The image we have here from the Hebrew word
shibel, is flowing clusters of olives that are hanging on the branches. So in essence the focus of the second
question is on the fruit hanging on the tree, not the actual branch.
There are
two questions with two answers.
Zech 4:-3 & 11-14 Then he answered me and
said, “Do you not know what these are?”
And I said, “No, my lord.” So he said, “These are the two
anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.”
Rev 11:3-4&10 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will
prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”
These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
The two Olive Trees are the two witnesses who will be called
as prophets during the end of days. The two trees are two people.
The Two Witnesses
It is my
opinion that these two people could be Moses and Elijah.
Moses is from the tribe of Levi and
he represents….
- The Southern Kingdom / The House of Judah
- The Natural Olive Tree
- Shem
- Truth / Torah
Elijah from the tribe of………?
As I studied
what tribe Elijah was from I realized no one really knows where he came
from. He is called a Tishbite. This word is from the Hebrew word toshab (1
Kings 17:1).
{to-shawb'};
from yashab; a dweller (but not outlandish (nokriy)); especially (as distinguished from a native citizen)
(active participle of yashab) and a temporary inmate (ger) (i.e., gentile) or mere lodger (luwn) resident alien -- foreigner, sojourner,
stranger.
He is a ger,
one from the nations, a sojourner, or as the New Testament says a
gentile.
Elijah Moses
Elijah is
from Tishbi stranger or gentile Moses from the tribe of Levi
Representing Representing
Northern
Kingdom/House of Israel Southern
Kingdom/House of Judah
Wild Olive Tree Natural Olive Tree
Japheth Shem
Spirit / Grace
/ Messiah Truth / Torah
What are the TWO trees
- Natural Olive Tree and Wild Olive Tree
- Moses and Elijah
- The two witnesses are two people
- People are Olive Trees
§ Psl 52:8 But I am
like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God
forever and ever
What are the TWO Clusters of Olives
The two clusters of olives are
two groups of people.
J Judah and Israel
- Jew and Gentile
- Shem and Japheth
- These two Groups of People represent Truth and Spirit
Branches are Groups
of People
Jer 11:16 Yahweh
called your name, Green Olive Tree, Lovely and of Good Fruit.
With the noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire on it, And its branches are broken.
When
speaking of the fruit and branches on the tree Jeremiah is talking is about two
groups of people, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Jer 11:2 Hear the words of this
covenant, and speak unto the men of
Judah, and to the inhabitants
of Jerusalem;
These men of
Judah are described as branches broken off of an Olive Tree. This Olive Tree is the same Olive Tree Paul
writes about in Romans 11. If some
natural branches were not broken off, the wild branches would not have room to
be grafted in among them.
In Part one
of this articles we have learned that the Olive Tree represents a person and
the fruit and branches represent groups of people. In part two we will connect this insight from
the Old Testament about the Olive Tree and the clusters of fruit, with the New
Testament Olive Tree in Romans 11.
No comments:
Post a Comment