Zechariah 4:14

He then said that the two branches represented the two anointed ones who stood by the Lord of all the earth. It was their relationship to the Lord that equipped them for their tasks. "Anointed ones" is literally "sons of oil."

"The phrase ’sons of oil’ is typically interpreted to mean that the two individuals mentioned were anointed with oil as the Lord’s special servants (see NIV). However, the word for ’oil’ used here (Heb. yitshar) does not refer to anointing oil elsewhere (the Hebrew term for such oil is shemen) but to fresh oil that symbolizes a land’s agricultural abundance. [Note: Footnote 299: See David L. Petersen, Haggai and Zechariah 1-8, pp. 230-31.] It is more likely, then, that the individuals are called ’sons of oil’ because under their leadership the Lord would restore agricultural prosperity to the land (see Zechariah 3:10, as well as Haggai 2:19). These ’sons of oil’ were, of course, the high priest Joshua and the governor Zerubbabel (see Zechariah 3:1-10; Zechariah 4:7-10; Zechariah 6:9-15)." [Note: Chisholm, Handbook on . . ., p. 462.]

Nevertheless, the earlier reference to the Spirit’s enablement (Zechariah 4:6) presents these "sons of oil" as empowered by Him. [Note: For an edifying explanation of the similarities between oil and the Holy Spirit, see Feinberg, God Remembers, pp. 74-75.]

Zerubbabel and Joshua point ultimately to the Messiah who combined the royal and priestly offices and functions in one person, the Branch (Zechariah 3:8; Zechariah 6:12; Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5; cf. Psalms 110; Hebrews 7). Some of the Jews in Jesus’ day (e.g., the Qumran community) expected two Messiahs, a princely one and a priestly one. [Note: See Helmer Ringgren, The Faith of Qumran, pp. 171-73.] In the Tribulation two other special witnesses will appear (cf. Revelation 11:3-12).

The point of this vision and its accompanying oracles was the Lord’s ability to bring a seemingly impossible project to completion successfully and gloriously through His anointed servants (Messiah, and Zerubbabel and Joshua) and His supernatural enablement (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:9). The lesson is applicable to any project that God has ordained and called His people to execute, including rebuilding the temple and building the church (Matthew 16:18).