“By My Spirit!” Restoring the Prophetic Voice to Israel

By David Parsons, Senior Vice President & Spokesman

Zechariah 4:6–7 contains our Feast theme this year: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts. “Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’” 

As we near the Feast of Tabernacles in October, our Feast theme, pulled from this passage, has become even more relevant: “By My Spirit, says the Lord!” 

When we chose this theme (before last year’s Feast), we did not know just how fitting it would now be. Last year’s feast ended just before the horrific massacres of October 7. This came as such a shock to us after visiting the Gaza border with 700 Feast pilgrims just two days earlier. Ironically, the last speaker at our Solidarity Rally in Sderot that day was Israeli commander Brig. Gen. Amir Avivi, who ended his security briefing with the words: “Israel’s victory is ‘not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord.’” 

The ensuing war has caused much pain, grief, destruction, and uncertainty across Israel. It also has reminded us that whenever the Jewish people are being restored to Eretz Israel, they must hold a trowel for building in one hand and a sword for defending with the other. Such was the case when Joshua led the ancient Israelites in first possessing the promised land and when Ezra and Nehemiah led them back to rebuild Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity. That seems to be the pattern the Jewish people must accept and follow whenever they return to their ancestral homeland—even today for modern Israel.

Another pattern emerges from the biblical accounts of Israel’s returns to the land that connects to our 2024 Feast theme, “By My Spirit.” Once back in the Land, Israel’s leaders always brought the people to a place of repentance and spiritual renewal regarding their covenant relationship with God. 

From Egypt into the Promised Land

We see this pattern in Scripture when the Israelites reentered the land from exile in Egypt. One of the first things Joshua did was build an altar to God on Mount Ebal. He then led the people in repenting and renewing their vows at Sinai to worship and serve Him alone (Joshua 8:30–35). 

The Return from Babylon

We also see this pattern when Nehemiah gathered the people in solemn assembly to repent for all the sins and rebellion that had caused their exile to Babylon and renew their covenant with God. Nehemiah 9 records how they came together with “fasting, in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads … and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers (vv. 2–3):

[O]ur fathers acted proudly [and] hardened their necks (v. 16). … Yet in Your manifold mercies, You did not forsake them in the wilderness (v. 19) … trouble … has come upon us … from the days of the kings of Assyria until this day (v. 32) … [but] You are just in all that has befallen us; for You have dealt faithfully, but we have done wickedly.” (vv. 16, 19; 32–33) 

This solemn assembly took place around the altar of the Lord that Ezra had built. The first three chapters of the book of Ezra record how the Jews had authority from the first Persian king, Cyrus, to rebuild their temple and restore the worship of Jehovah according to their law. Cyrus had not only empowered them with an official decree but even returned the temple treasures for use once more in the house of the Lord. So the altar was set up, sacrifices were renewed, and the feasts were kept—and the foundation of the temple was laid. 

But then Cyrus passed away and their grant of authority with him. The funds dried up. Opposition to the work also arose from the Samaritans and other local leaders, such as Sanballat and Tobias. They tricked the next Persian ruler to order a stop to the building. Meanwhile, some of the old-timers who had seen the splendor of Solomon’s Temple complained that the glory of this house could not compare to the glory of the former house. Alas, frustration set in and work, on the Lord’s “house” ceased. 

Indeed, for the next 16 years, the work languished. Then the Lord restored a prophetic flow to the nation by sending the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to encourage and inspire the people to finish the house of the Lord. This is recorded in Ezra 5, which adds that “the prophets of God [were] helping them.” 

Exhortations from Haggai and Zechariah

The prophet Haggai came and proclaimed that the people should not compare the unfinished house with the former temple, but they must “‘be strong … and work; for I am with you,’ says the Lord of hosts … ‘My Spirit remains among you; do not fear! … I will fill this temple with glory … [and] the glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former’” (Haggai 2:3–9).

At the same time, the prophet Zechariah proclaimed this work would be completed not by might—that is, by the sword (although it helps); and not by power—that is, by royal decree or human authority (although that helps too). The work would be completed “‘by My Spirit,’ says the Lord.” 

Indeed, the mountain of rubble where the temple once stood would become a level plain, and the “capstone”—the finished work—would be brought forth with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” (Zechariah 4:7).

Zechariah also assured that the Israelite prince Zerubbabel had laid the foundation of the temple and that Zerubbabel’s hand would also finish it (Zechariah 4:9).

Zechariah 4:6–7 – A Golden Lampstand

In chapter 4, Zechariah also sees a vision of two olive trees feeding a golden lampstand, which the angel later explains are “the two anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth” (Zechariah 4:2–3, 11–14). There are various interpretations and speculations about the two figures in this imagery, which the apostle John also alludes to in Revelation 11 as the “two witnesses.” I have my own view on these two prophetic figures, but for now, we will focus on the clear message of these passages: The nation of Israel will complete its mission, find its place of repentance, and be renewed in right relationship with God—but first, it needs a restored prophetic flow.

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