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Zechariah 8:9 – Thus says the Lord of hosts: "Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of the prophets who were present on the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built."

The content of chapter 8 is a continuation of chapter 7, in which the men of Bethel came to the temple to ask the Lord if they should continue certain fasts which they were observing on a yearly basis. 

God responds to their inquiry as the Lord of Hosts, the God who is ultimate in power, wisdom, authority and ability.

His response begins with some sharp words of reproof (see chapter 7).  God points out that he is much more interested in obedience than sacrifice; he was deeply concerned about their disregard for the task he had set before them (completion of the temple and rebuilding of Jerusalem) as well as the sinful way they were treating each other.

Let's briefly review these two sinful errors.  

First of all, for the most part, the Jews of that generation were operating in unbelief.  They were convinced that their current enemies were going to destroy them as well as the temple they were supposed to be building.  Why, they wondered, should they exert time, money and strenuous effort only to have it all destroyed (Nehemiah 4:7-11)?  What was the point? 

This lack of faith in the promises of God caused them to stop construction on the temple.  (The foundation of the temple had been laid two years prior).  Instead, they turned to building their own houses/estates and seeking their own pleasures. 

Haggai 1:4 - Is it time for you, yourselves, to dwell in your paneled houses, and this house [the temple] lie in ruins?

Secondly, although the Jews were faithful to complete their yearly fasts, they were merely going through vain motions.  God declared through the prophet Isaiah (chapter 58) that the fast which pleased him was to love him with all their hearts and to deal with their neighbors in righteousness and justice:

Isaiah 58:6 - Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?   

In chapter 8, after addressing these two main areas of concern, God goes on to give his people some glorious promises for the future of their nation and the world.

Specifically, in verses 9-17, we find that the Lord reasoning with his people. Essentially he is telling the Jews that the fulfillment of his former promises is proof (or earnest) that he will keep his future promises, including the ones he was giving the current generation through the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. 

The Jews of that generation needed this kind of assurance, because the promises being made were so astonishing and so mind-numbing, they had difficulty believing the promises would come to pass (which was not a good thing for people who already exhibited a distinct lack of faith). 

Using examples from the recent history of the Jews, God reminds his people that he has good things in store for those who obey and curses in store for those who disobey or disregard his commands.  Since God never changes, the Israelites can expect one or the other (blessing or cursing), based on their own choices, actions and decisions. 

To begin with, the Lord instructs the people of Zechariah's day to 'let their hands be strong' with regard to finishing their work. 

The first step in 'strengthening their hands' was actually to get their thinking straight.  God had promised that the temple would be rebuilt and that he would once again dwell among his people.  They would be his children and he would be their God – the one who protected them, watched over them, provided for them and had joyous fellowship with them.  Victory was in their future.   

It was time for the Jews to stop believing the threats of their enemies and stand in faith upon the promises of God.  Whenever doubt or fear or unbelief came to their minds (as it no doubt would), they had to chase those thoughts away by filling their minds with truth. 

• When fear came, they could remind themselves of the promises of victory given to them by the Lord of hosts.
• When doubt came, they could fill their minds with the glorious visions of intercession and blessing found in the visions of Zechariah.
• When unbelief came, it could be chased away by dwelling on God's past faithfulness.

It would take time and effort for the Jews to change their thinking, but it was certainly possible to do so. In fact, it was absolutely necessary in order for them to complete their task.

The second step in 'strengthening their hands' was to make the work of the Lord a priority.  It was time to set their personal agendas/goals aside and complete the work of the Lord with zeal, joy and faithfulness.  By faith they had to commit their time, effort and limited resources into this project.   

This was both a sacrifice and a test of faith, because the generation of Jews who rebuilt the temple was not going to personally experience the ultimate fulfillment of many of the promises.

For example, none of the men building the temple were going to be alive in the day when Jerusalem was known as the City of Truth.  They were not going to be the aged people walking down the streets of Jerusalem while small children played safely in the streets.  Nevertheless, knowing what God was going to do for future generations through their foundational work should have been motivation enough (and joy enough) for them to complete the task.

The final step in 'strengthening their hands' was to shake off sloth and simply get to work!  This required them to develop new routines in their lives.  It takes a while to develop good habits (such as daily prayer and bible study), but once you do, they will serve you well.  

I believe there is a lesson here for the church as well.  God has made promises to this generation of believers just as he did to the men of Zechariah's day.  For example, God has promised to save America from destruction.  He has also promised an unbelievable harvest of souls in this country (and throughout the world).  

It's time for the church to get these promises down into our hearts and minds with faith. Once we do, we must listen to Holy Spirit for his exact instructions. We must put our personal agendas aside and commit our time, effort and resources into this work.

 Then, we need to follow through with prayer, speaking/declaring the scriptures, and acting on whatever other instructions Holy Spirit gives us.  All the time, we need to be praising and worshiping the Lord of Hosts, who will bring his promises to fruition and ensure our victory.

We may or may not live to see the final results/fulfillment of what God has promised, but we can still rejoice knowing that future generations of the church will benefit from our foundational work.  When God is in charge, the battle is won.  It's time for us to put on the whole armor of God, pick up the keys to the kingdom of heaven and get to work!

Zechariah 8:10 – "For before those days there was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for him who went out or came in for I set every man against his neighbor."

Let's establish a quick frame of reference. There was an approximately 16 year period in which the Jews took no action to rebuild the temple. After that, in the second year of Cyrus, the Jews got busy and at least laid the foundation for the temple. But again, work slowed and now it was the fourth year of the reign of Cyrus and nothing more had been done.

So 'those days' refers to the time when the foundation of the temple was laid.   'Before those days' refers to the 16 year period when the Jews failed to do the work God had assigned to them. 

Because of their rebellion and failure to keep God's command, Israel suffered under the curse for disobedience which automatically came under the law.  Since obedience brings prosperity (Deuteronomy 28:1-14), it naturally follows that disobedience would bring lack (Deuteronomy 28:15-68) – and that is exactly what the Jews experienced.  

The effects of that curse are being discussed in this verse.  First, we note that there was 'no wage' for man or beast.  In other words, there was no profit from their work.  They got up in the morning, yoked up the oxen and spent all day plowing, weeding and otherwise tending to their crops.  But when harvest time came, there was little if any profit from their labor:

Haggai 1:6 - You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but you have not enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he that earns wages earns wages to put it into a bag with holes.

Can you imagine how frustrating and depressing that would be? They were working all day, but never getting ahead. They were expending all their time and energy but barely reaping enough to stay alive. As things got worse, they began to oppress their fellow Jews by charging outrageous interest rates, taking other people's children as slaves, and failing to pay their workers.

As if that were not enough, God reminds the people that 'neither was the any safety from the foe' for the person who 'went out or came in'.  In other words, there was no safety or enjoyment of what they did manage to obtain, because the Jews experienced affliction and oppression by enemies on every side, and from every quarter.   

The Persian Empire had many small nations under its domain.  These smaller nations were required to pay tribute to the empire.  As long as they paid tribute and did not revolt, they had the freedom to pretty much do as they pleased.  One thing they frequently did was to attack or raid each other.  In Nehemiah 4:7-11 we find that Israel had many such enemies.

There is also evidence that when Persia sent troops to fight against Egypt, the marched through the territory which included Jerusalem. These troops would have commandeered any supplies that the Jews managed to acquire.

So, because of their own disobedience, the Jews had no safety, no joy, no peace, no satisfaction and no rest.  They experienced internal dissensions as well as outward opposition.  Nothing they did in the field, in their personal lives or in their businesses resulted in prosperity; everything they did was essentially barren. 

This state of lack was not due to bad luck or fortune.  It was a direct result of the curse of the law for disobedience to the command of God to rebuild the temple.  Granted, this situation had begun to significantly improve two years earlier, as the Jews began to lay the foundation of the temple.  God is now strongly encouraging them to continue/finish the work, because he wanted to further bless his people.    

Zechariah 8:11 – "But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, declares the Lord of hosts."

We have already seen that the visions of Zechariah strengthened and encouraged the remnant of the Jews to continue the work of rebuilding the temple, restoring worship and repairing the walls of Jerusalem. 

Because they listened to the voice of the Lord and renewed their work on these projects, God was now able to bless them according to the covenant.  Instead of being cursed, their labor would be blessed.

Zechariah 8:12 – "For there shall be a sowing of peace.  The vine shall give its fruit and the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew.  And I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things."

Here we find a description of the reversal of the former condition of the Jews.

Before the rebuilding began, the Jews experienced lack of every kind – their crops failed to germinate or they withered due to lack of rain, or they were blighted with disease, or they just didn't produce much harvest.  There was internal strife among the Jews (because of their ill treatment of each other) as well as threats from outside enemies.  No one had any peace or tranquility.

Things had been improving since the Jews commenced work on the temple, but now God openly confirms that he has reversed their condition.  He declared that he was sending the rain (former and latter) which would be needed for a bountiful harvest.  We can also assume he would guard against locusts, blight, mildew and any other pest that would kill their harvest. 

God guarantees that their labor will produce fruit whether that be from trees (such as olives, nuts, figs, etc), vines (such as grapes) or any crop planted in the ground (such as barley, corn and wheat – Leviticus 26:4).

While this was an immediate and welcome promise to the Jews of Zechariah's day, it also has a significant spiritual parallel in our day - it speaks of the abundance of spiritual blessings that are available to the church.

God showers us with the gifts and blessings of Holy Spirit, his word, his presence, his power and his peace.  All of these will be instrumental in helping us to turn the nation of America back to the Lord and to plant/harvest a worldwide crop of souls for the kingdom of heaven.    

There is no doubt that the need is great.  Jesus told his followers to look around them for there was already a spiritual harvest of souls ready to be gathered into the kingdom of heaven:

John 4:35 - Say not, There are yet four months, and then comes harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.   

These promises should motivate you and me to participate in spiritual sowing/reaping, just as it motivated the people of God in Zechariah's day to sow/reap a physical harvest.

Because we know our labor will not be in vain, we should liberally sow the word of God.  There are many ways to do so:

• By speaking to people on an individual basis.
• By supporting our local church.
• By supporting the Christian music industry.
• By financially supporting Christian radio, television, podcasts and other electronic media.
• By using our social media to proclaim the truth.
• By using our influence (professional, political, cultural or within the family) to proclaim the gospel.

Furthermore, we can be confident that once we sow the word, Holy Spirit will water it and cause it to sprout in the hearts/minds of the hearers, so it will grow in their lives and produce a spiritual harvest, which we can then gather for the kingdom.

Not only that, we can be sure that God will protect us from attacks of the enemy so that the spiritual harvest will not be destroyed.  Although we will be engaged in spiritual warfare, we can expect to have the upper hand over our enemies and enjoy peace as we go about our work.

 

Zechariah 8:13 – "And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing.  Fear not, but let your hands be strong."

 

As we know, there was a split in the kingdom of Israel under the reign of Solomon's son, Rehoboam.  At that time, 10 tribes came under the kingship of Jeroboam, son of Nebat.  These ten tribes retained the name of Israel.  The remaining two tribes stayed under the kingship of the house of David.  From that time forward, they were known as the nation of Judah.

Both kingdoms went into captivity as the result of their sin. The kingdom of Israel went into captivity first (722 BC), followed by the kingdom of Judah (586 BC).  They lost their land, their temple, their freedom, their wealth, and their autonomy as a nation.  In short, they lost everything.     

As a result the Jews became a public example of what it meant to be cursed under the law:       

Jeremiah 44:22 - because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which you have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as it is this day.

But it was never God's will for them to be an example of cursing. God intended them to be a blessing for the whole world:

Genesis 28:14 - And your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

God makes it very plain that the Jews change of circumstances is not due to a whim of fate or anything they have done.  He alone has undertaken to deliver/save them from destruction.  His favor now rests upon them, and he has restored their destiny to be a blessing to the nations of the world.

How were the Jews a blessing to the world?  It was through their line that Jesus was born into the world to be our Savior.  He perfectly fulfilled the law, then ushered in the new covenant of grace, whereby we can be saved through his atoning sacrifice.  

Opposition against the Jews still existed, but their enemies were already defeated, because the Lord of Hosts was on their side.  Therefore, they should shake off fear, sloth, indifference and anything else that was preventing them from finishing their work. 

Romans 8:31 - What shall we then say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

The promises of God provided ample motivation for the Jews to roll up their sleeves and get to work.  They should be doing the same thing for the church of today as well!  

Zechariah 8:14-15 – For thus says the Lord of hosts: "As I purposed to bring disaster to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the Lord of hosts, so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear not."

As we discussed earlier in this study, God is always faithful to his promises.  He promised to curse Israel if she continued unabated in sin, and that is exactly what he did when he decreed that she would go into captivity (he did not relent).

Likewise, Israel's restoration was brought about solely by the power and decree of the Lord, because that was what he had promised to do for them if they repented:  

Jeremiah 31:28 - And it shall come to pass, that as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, says the LORD.

God fully intends to bless and 'do good' to his people; he will not relent from blessing them as long as his people do that which is righteous in his sight.

And again we note that because God kept his promises in the past, Israel can rest assured that he will also keep his future promises of restoration and blessing, even if they don't live to experience them.

The lesson applies to us as well.  Armed with the promises and assurances of God, let us (the church) courageously follow Christ wherever he leads. 

Zechariah 8:16-17 – "These are the things that you shall do:  Speak the truth to one another, render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the Lord."

As we mentioned earlier, Israel was guilty of two sins. 

One was failure to rebuild the temple and the walls of Jerusalem.  God had pretty much dealt with that issue, while giving his people wonderful assurances and promises of the manifold blessing he had in store for them.

The second sin was going through the vain motions of fasting, while their hearts were engaged in all kinds wickedness such as anger, injustice, cheating, oppression, lying, etc.  Although it was fasting that was specifically mentioned in this case, God does not approve or accept any vain religious exercise. 

For instance, if we go to church with a poor attitude, judging everyone we see, griping about the worship songs and criticizing the message, then out trip to church was nothing more than a vain religious exercise.

God once again declares that he hates this kind of wicked behavior.  He expects his followers to love their neighbors as themselves (Exodus 20:12-17).  They are to speak the truth to each other, make impartial judgments and practice integrity in every aspect of their lives, while showing mercy and compassion to their fellow man.  These are the exact same duties he had given to the generations who lived before the exile (Zechariah 7:9-10).  Too bad they didn't listen!    

God will not (cannot) let these kinds of sins go unpunished.  If his people want to fellowship with him and experience his blessing, they must remove these sins from their lives.

In a society where people deal fairly with one another and the court system renders true justice, peace will be a byproduct.  It is the duty of God's people to strive for this kind of righteous living, because it honors the name of the Lord.  

 

Let me offer you some encouragement:

One thing we cannot help but notice in our study of Zechariah is that the Jews of that generation were working for the temporal and spiritual good of the next generation.

For example, they were busy building the second temple, which was going to be in use until after Jesus died and rose again. 

They were also (to the best of their ability) committed to practicing personal holiness and faithfulness to God's commands.  This resulted in a multitude of blessings and it was an excellent example for their children and grandchildren, who came to know that their best life was only possible in fellowship with God.

 What are you and I doing to invest in the next generation?  What kind of foundation are we laying for our children, our grandchildren and/or the kids in our local church?  I encourage you to consider this question seriously, and become involved.   

 

Let me offer you some relief:

Over and over again God makes it plain that he is concerned not only with our outward actions, but with the thoughts and desires of our hearts/minds (Hebrews 4:12). 

Obviously, this is an issue that affects all of us.  So let me give you some relief - correct thinking is not just something we can just turn on or off like a light switch.  It is more of a process that we develop over time. 

For example, if you have an issue with complaining or thinking negative thoughts you can't just decide you're not going to do that anymore. (How many times have we sworn that we would never do something again, only to be doing it five minutes later?!)

Instead, you need to consistently chase those thoughts away whenever you find they are in your mind.

You can do that by praise and worship, by prayer, by declaring the truth of God's word and by quoting scripture.  Eventually, over time, those thoughts will come to your mind less and less frequently. 

In other words, right thinking is a process, not an event.  The key is to continue renewing your mind until your thoughts line up with the word of God.  So don't give up – keep at it!

 

Let me offer you some strength:

Another thing we noticed in our study was that the people of Zechariah's day did not see the final fulfillment of all the promises God gave them. Indeed, some of those promises are still in the future, possibly coming to pass during the millennial reign of Christ.  Nevertheless, former generations of Jews placed their faith in these promises and worked for their fulfillment.

Abraham did the same thing. He sojourned through the land that would later belong to his descendants (the Promised Land). He was long dead before Israel had possession of that land, but his wandering was the result of his faith in the promise of God (Hebrews 11:6-10).

If you are working towards a promise that has not yet come to pass, don't give up!  Stay strong in your faith.  At the exact right moment, God will bring that promise to pass.

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Zechariah 8:1-2 – And the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying, "Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath."

Here in chapter 8 we are still dealing with the inquiry of the men of Bethel, who wanted to know if they should continue their yearly fast in the fifth (and seventh) months. 

In chapter 7, God used this inquiry as a starting point to correct the sinful behavior of his people.  He sternly rebuked not just the men of Bethel, but the whole nation for man-appointed fasts that did not honor him.  Using prior generations as an example of judgment, God urged the current generation of Jews to return to obedience to his commands.    

Specifically, God wanted his people to love him and obey him.  He wanted them to exhibit mercy, justice and love in their treatment of others.  If they failed to do so, no amount of fasting could please him.   

After this stern reproof, the Jews were somewhat discouraged (after all, no one likes to be told they've been doing the wrong thing for years and years).  But God immediately shows compassion to his people by giving them words of hope. 

God lifts them from the pit of discouragement by revealing some of the great things he has in store for the nation.  From the Jews point of view, there was reason to rejoice because despite their failures and shortcomings, God's favor still rested upon them.  He had not abandoned them; his plans for the Jewish nation were still going to come to pass.  And these plans were far, far greater than anything they imagined!    

God also encourages them by repeatedly using the phrase 'thus says the Lord of hosts'.  This description of God is significant for several reasons:   

• First, it confirms that the words shared by the prophet were not merely the wishes of a man, but a sure and certain revelation from God.

• Two, the Lord of hosts is a title that affirms the unlimited power of God. Since he is all powerful, he will surely bring his plans to pass, even if it seems impossible to his people. Nothing is impossible for him; nothing can stop him or even slow him down!

• Three, just knowing that the Lord of hosts saw their situation and was working on their behalf greatly strengthened the faith of those who were diligently working to restore the temple.

The next word of encouragement God gives his people is this: he has a great jealousy for them.  As you recall, this is not the first time he made this statement:

Zechariah 1:14 – So the angel who talked with me said to me, 'Cry out, Thus says the Lord of Hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion.'

God loves his people with a perfect love.  Because of that love, he is jealous (zealous, solicitous, vigilant and watchful) for the welfare of his people.  Like a passionate husband, God loves and cares for his bride.  He is concerned for her honor and interests while harboring incredible anger/wrath for anyone who desires to hurt her.

Now, let's consider the situation in Zechariah's day.  We know that Jerusalem was the city which God had chosen for himself; he put his name on it (II Kings 21:7). The temple, the ark and the mercy seat were all located there. It was the capital city of the nation. It was the future location of the atonement of Christ and the birthplace of the church.

In addition, the nation of Israel itself was a memorial of the power and goodness of God. What other nation had a covenant and a history with God like they did? What other nation had been rescued, blessed, protected and watched over like Israel? Any other nation in her situation would have ceased to exist long ago! One only has to examine the history of Israel to know that God was indeed very jealous (zealous, solicitous, vigilant and watchful) for her welfare. �

For example, when the city and temple were destroyed by Babylonian invaders, God could simply have allowed them to perish (which was no more than they deserved).  But instead of abandoning his sinful people, God had feelings of jealousy for their welfare.  They called out to him in their distress and he heard their cries.  When their time of correction was complete, he opened the door for the Jews to return to Jerusalem.

There is an excellent point contained in this situation.  God was not concerned with the vain fasts of the Jews, but he was (and still is) very interested in anyone who approaches him with a broken and contrite spirit.

Psalm 34:18 - The LORD is near unto them that are of a broken heart; and saves such as be of a contrite spirit.

When a person truly mourns over the sin in their lives (as Israel did during the captivity), God takes notice.  His presence and power will come into that situation and bring change.    

Now that Israel had gone through a period of chastisement and correction, God was ready to once again pour out blessings upon her.  At the same time, his righteous anger and judgment were being poured out upon the enemies of his people (the Babylonians) because they diligently sought to annihilate Israel, instead of simply functioning as God's rod of correction.

God's jealousy for Israel and his simultaneous judgment of her enemies was manifested many, many times in her history.  One such example was the pillar of fire and cloud God sent during the exodus – the Israelites received light and protection, while the Egyptians experienced darkness and destruction (Exodus 14:19-20).

Many scholars also expect future fulfillments of this prophesy as well. 

They point to Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39, where Gog and Magog will come against Israel in the last days with great fury.  They also expect the antichrist to wage war against Israel during the tribulation period at the end of this age.  But in both cases, God will zealously protect, preserve and rescue his people while pouring his wrath out upon her enemies.   

Overall, the Lord's statement that he is very jealous for his people is extremely comforting. The Jews had reason to rejoice because God greatly desired to shine his favor upon them, bringing them from a place of hopelessness to a state of joy and gladness.

Zechariah 8:3 – "Thus says the Lord: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain."

God goes on to assure his people that he has 'returned to Zion'.  If he is returning, the inference is that he must have left at some point.  Is there a record of that happening?

Unfortunately, yes.  In the book of Ezekiel, chapters 8-10, we have a very somber picture of the sin and depravity of Israel before the captivity (these chapters are definitely worth reading, if you have a chance). 

God gives Ezekiel a vision of the idolatry and blasphemy of the children of Israel (including the elders and some of the priests).  In this passage, God also makes note of the shedding of innocent blood, violence, and injustice. 

He then shows the prophet a picture of the departure of his presence from the temple in Jerusalem:

Ezekiel 10:3-4, 18 – Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the house [the temple], when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court.  And the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub to the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the Lord.  Then the glory of the Lord went out from the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim.

Ezekiel 11:23 – And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain that is on the east side of the city.  

That was a sad day indeed! But a new day was dawning for Israel. The Lord opened a door of opportunity for his people to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. As the Jews completed the temple and reinstituted the sacrifices, God returned to dwell in their midst once again.

Although God must have seemed very far away during the captivity, he was actually watching over Israel the whole time. And now his presence had returned to dwell among them. Their mourning was now turned to joy!

Eventually, in contrast to her former sinful state, Jerusalem would be called or known as the city of faithfulness or the city of truth.  In this instance, 'faithfulness and truth' embrace the concepts of honesty, faith, sincerity, and justice.  No idolatry or blasphemy would be found there; only the true worship of God.

God also declares that the 'mountain of the Lord' will be known as the holy mountain. 

The mountain being referred to is Mount Zion, where both the first and second temples were built.  Because the temple is there and God's presence dwelt in the temple, Mount Zion was frequently called the mountain of holiness by the Old Testament writers (Isaiah 56:7, 65:11, 65:25, Joel 2:1, Obadiah 16-17, Daniel 9:16, Jeremiah 31:23, etc).   

As wonderful as this sounds, we have to stop and think logically for a minute.  Has this prophesy been fulfilled?

Let's look at the facts.  We know that God only speaks the truth.  So if he is describing Jerusalem as the city which worships him and exemplifies truth, in whom is found honesty, faith, and justice, then it must be true at some point.  However, that did not happen during the time of Zechariah. 

                                                                                   

Some bible commentators make a case for this prophetic word being partially fulfilled during the incarnation. Since Jesus was frequently found in Jerusalem and the temple, we could loosely say that truth, honesty and true worship of God was present in the city during his lifetime. However, the prophesy delivered by Zechariah seems to indicate that the righteous state of Jerusalem was a permanent one, and that was certainly not the case after Jesus returned to heaven.

And sadly, it is not true today either. In fact, scholars are in agreement that this prophesy is yet to be fulfilled at some future point in time; many believe it will fully manifest during the millennial reign of Christ upon the earth. At that time, Jerusalem will be exactly as described in Ezekiel 37:23-28 (seriously, look this up).

The same can be said for the 'mountain of the Lord'.  Right now, there is no temple on Mount Zion.  In fact, the building currently located at the site of the former temple is the Dome of the Rock, which is a mosque dedicated to the Muslim prophet Muhammad.  This would certainly not be considered a holy site for Christians or Jews.  So again, we must conclude that this particular prophesy has not yet been fulfilled.

 We can sum up the Lord's promise by saying that God's people were restored from captivity, and the Lord was in their midst.  The temple and the holy city of Jerusalem would be rebuilt. Instead of being false, unholy and abandoned, Jerusalem and Mount Zion will one day be known as the city of truth and the holy mountain of God.  The fulfillment of this prophesy still lies in the future.    

Of course, we can easily see how this message manifests itself in the age of grace. Man was cut off from God when sin entered the world and made us captives, just as the Jews were cut off from God's presence during their captivity.

But according to the eternal will and council of God, Jesus came to atone for the sin of whosoever desires to follow him.

 

Ephesians 5:24-25 -  as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

Together, Jews and Gentiles now make up the church of Jesus Christ.  His Spirit dwells in our hearts making us holy temples of truth and faithfulness forever.

Zechariah 8:4-5 – "Thus says the Lord of hosts:  Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age.  And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets."

Here we find that God enlarges upon the prophetic picture of a time of peace and prosperity.  He does this by declaring that a time would come when old people with walking sticks would be found in Jerusalem.  How is that a picture of peace and prosperity?

Well, during Israel's numerous times of conflict/war, men, women and children lost their lives through direct combat, sieges, famine, accidents, polluted water, water shortages, lack of shelter and many other causes related to war.  There were some generations that had few (if any) old people.   

But in this prophesy, God declares that a day is coming when Israel will no longer be in danger from her enemies; her people will not perish prematurely from war or its side effects.

Instead, they will live in prosperity and security, enjoying a peace so profound that all of their men and women will live full lives extending well into old age. In fact, they will be so old, they will require a staff (or, as we might say, a walker) in order to safely get around!

The implication of the prophesy is that despite their age these folks will still possess strength, vigor and good health both physically and spiritually.  These aged citizens would be a crown of honor for God's people.

Did you know that long life was one of the many blessings included in the covenant for faithful service to God? 

Deuteronomy 4:40 - You shall keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command you this day, that it may go well with you, and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days upon the earth, which the LORD your God gives you, forever.  

 

The returned exiles were incapable of even imagining such a blessing!  In the recent history of the nation, the streets of Jerusalem were known for either being filled with the bodies of the slain or else being deserted and desolate, because of those who fled for their lives.  In the minds of the remnant who had returned to Jerusalem, it was unthinkable that those same streets could be filled with men and women of advanced age.  What an amazing word of encouragement!

As incredible as that promise was, God had even more in store!  He declared that his people would also be blessed with an abundance of children who would be numerous, healthy and happy (Genesis 1:28).  Due to the peace and security of the nation, these children would be able to joyfully and safely play in the midst of the streets (Psalms 28).

Obviously, as we study current events, we know this prophesy has not yet come to pass in the nation of Israel or in the city of Jerusalem.  Again, most scholars believe this prophesy will find its literal or physical fulfillment during the millennial reign of Christ (Isaiah 65:20-22).

As we wait for that day to come, let's ask ourselves this question: Might there be a spiritual fulfillment of this promise as well as a physical one?

Back in the third vision of Zechariah (Zechariah 2:1-4) we saw that God was measuring the future boundaries of the city of Jerusalem.  The prophet was also told that the new city would not have walls or gates.  This spoke to the enormous amount of people, animals, crops and resources that would be present in the city.  In other words, it would be wildly prosperous and ever expanding.

As we noted back in our study of chapter 2, this is a picture of the ever expanding church of Jesus Christ.

In our current study we see a picture of men and women living to an advanced old age and numerous children living and playing in peace and safety. Spiritually speaking, men and women of advanced age may refer to people who are spiritually mature, ready and willing to disciple new converts to the faith. They will be a crown of honor for the church.

Likewise, the many children mentioned in this vision may refer to a significant number of new converts to the kingdom (new born babes in Christ), who, being full of heath and strength, will joyfully praise and worship God without restraint, just like a joyous child running and playing in the streets. 

The tranquility and peace described here are the result or the fruit of God's continual presence among his people.

Zechariah 8:6 – "Thus says the Lord of hosts: If it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my sight, declares the Lord of hosts?"

First of all, who is the remnant?

This may refer to the Jews who returned to Jerusalem from the captivity.  Upon their return, they saw the charred remains of the city, the desolate homes, the broken down gates and the ruined temple.  It looked like Jerusalem would never achieve her former glory.   

To them, the promises of Jerusalem being known as a city of truth, or the Jews having all of her citizens living to advanced age while children played in the streets was a thing beyond their wildest hopes and dreams.  To them, it seemed impossible. They did not believe this could ever happen. 

In their defense, they were partially correct.  There was no way that man, with his sinful nature, could ever live in complete truth.  Neither could he guarantee a happy childhood or long life for the people of the nation.

But when God is involved, everything changes.  

God encourages the Jews to believe (have faith) in him, the one who never fails.  No matter how astonishing and impossible his promises seemed in the minds of the remnant, they were just a simple matter for God.  He can easily bring these things to pass through his supernatural power. 

Thus, the Jews of Zechariah's day were once again reminded not to despise the day of small beginnings (Zechariah 4:10), because God's supernatural power would bring that small sprout to full fruition.  Israel and Jerusalem didn't look like much at the time, but a day will come when they are the crown jewels of the earth.     

There are also scholars who believe that the remnant refers to the Jewish people who accepted Christ as savior during or immediately after the incarnation.

The Jews who actually believed that Jesus was the Messiah was indeed a very small number of the total Jewish population. Furthermore, they were completely astonished that God intended to bring the Gentiles into the kingdom of heaven and create a single, united church which anyone could join.  Even though this seemed impossible to them, God easily brought the church into existence.

I would also like to point out that this truth applies to all people in all generations. Even the church thinks way too small.  Even we back away from fully placing our faith in the promises of God.

For example, how many of you have read this scripture:

John 14:12 - Verily, verily, I [Jesus] say unto you, He that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

 

Jesus promised us that we would do not only the same, but greater works than he did.  Yet, how many of us have the faith to believe it?  My guess is that not many of us are standing on this promise.  I have a feeling that far more of us immediately dismiss the idea of doing the same works that Jesus did. 

I'm not calling attention to this fact to shame anyone (just so you know, I'd be shaming myself too).  I'm calling attention to this fact because we need to be aware that God wants to do the astonishing and the miraculous through us. 

Knowing that God is infinitely powerful and self-sufficient, we should easily and willingly place our faith in him. Instead of being astonished, we should be living in faith, being fully persuaded that God keeps all of his promises, because his power and infinite resources will make it happen.

Such was the faith of Abraham who did not consider his own age or the age of Sarah's womb, but fully believed that what God promised, he was well able to perform:

Romans 4:20-21 - He [Abraham] staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

In light of the infinite power of our God and King, we might want to rethink some of our personal plans and the plans we have for our churches.   My guess is that God is ready, willing and able to accomplish the impossible, while we only believe for what we can accomplish in our own strength.

Zechariah 8:7-8 – "Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.  And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness."

We have already noted that the phrase "thus says the Lord of hosts" called attention to the fact that the promises spoken were not coming from the lips of Zechariah, but from the throne room of God. 

We now see a further confirmation in the word 'behold'.  This word calls the attention of the hearer to the fact that God is all powerful, all wise and self-sufficient; with his own power he will bring this promise to pass and glorify his own name in the earth.  If God said it, you can believe it will happen!

Question – What is it that God wants his people to behold?

Answer – The guarantee of a two-fold divine restoration.

First, he promises there will be a physical or temporal restoration of their land.

'East' is a euphemism for where the sun rises, while 'west' stands for the setting of the sun. Consequently, the phrase 'east and west' refers to any place on earth where the sun rises and sets, which means the entire world.

In other words, God was promising to gather the Jews from the four corners of the world and bring them back to dwell in Jerusalem once again.  And as we know, God did exactly what he promised; the nation of Israel is alive and well today. 

Second, God promises a divine spiritual restoration. 

Loss of a relationship with God is the greatest loss possible; a person who is separated from God is like a branch separated from the tree – it may look okay for a hot minute, but it is actually already dead (John 15:4-7).  It will only be a matter of time before that death manifests itself.  During the captivity, Israel was cut off from fellowship with God.

Their spiritual restoration began when they returned to the land, repented of their sinful ways, rebuilt the temple and re-instituted worship. God was once again dwelling in their midst; they were his people and he was their God.

However, as you probably guessed, there may be other fulfillments of this promise as well.

Some commentators believe in a spiritual fulfillment of this promise.  They believe that God calls men and women (Jews and Gentiles) from the four corners of the earth to be a part of the kingdom of heaven, whose spiritual seat is the city of Jerusalem – the place where Jesus paid for our sin and established the church.   

 Ever since that time, countless Jews and Gentiles have been gathered into the 'Jerusalem without walls' (Zechariah 2:8) or the spiritual kingdom of God.  In faithfulness and righteousness he is our God and we are his people.   

 

Let me offer you some encouragement:

The children of Israel couldn't believe that God was going to gather the Jews from nations all across the world and bring them back to Jerusalem.  To them, this was an astonishing and incredible thing, which they did not have the faith to believe.

But God assures his people that what they find incredible, he sees as a simple action consistent with his eternal plans and purposes. Because he is all powerful, he will easily and effortlessly bring his will to pass. And the nation of Israel would be completely changed because of it.

Likewise, I believe God wants to move across our communities and bring sinners back to the spiritual Jerusalem – the church. The salvation of mass numbers of people (especially our stubborn friends and relatives) may seem impossible to us, but it will happen because it is consistent with God's desire that no person spiritually perishes, but that everyone will be saved (II Peter 3:9). Holy Spirit will easily and effortlessly bring revival to our cities, completely changing our churches (and our communities) because of it.

In light of this, I encourage you to prepare yourself for kingdom work.  We need to sharpen our knowledge of the scriptures, improve our personal holiness and spend more time in prayer.  We must prepare ourselves to be used of God to win converts and disciple new believers.

 

Let me offer you some relief:

There is no doubt that individual believers (and the church) need to start dreaming bigger dreams, imagining bigger visions, and stepping out into deeper faith.

Let's stop setting our goals by what we can accomplish in our own power. Instead, we should set our goals based upon the promises of God, which are infinitely greater than we could ever imagine.

There is no need to fear when we do this, because we know that God will bring it to pass through our faith and his own infinite power.

 

Let me offer you some strength:

Today's post speaks of the tranquility and peace that are the result of God's continual presence among his people.

This is consistent with the blessing that God commanded the high priest to speak over the children of Israel in Numbers 6:22-27.  Part of that blessing says this:

Numbers 6:26 – The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.

Think about that for a minute – If God 'lifts up his countenance upon you' it means that you and he are face to face and he is looking right at you. In order for that to happen, you have to be in his presence. And when you are in his presence, he gives you peace that will strengthen and keep you through all the storms of life.

Are you in need of that kind of peace and strength today? If so, begin to rejoice in the Lord. Be thankful for his blessings. Worship him for his infinite greatness, incredible power and astonishing plans. Soon, you will enter his presence (Psalms 100) where he will flood you with his peace.

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Zechariah 7:4-5 – Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me: "Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted?'"

In our last post we discovered that the Jewish citizens of Bethel sent a committee of important men to the priests and prophets (Haggai and Zechariah) of Jerusalem.  Their purpose was to 'inquire' of the Lord.

Specifically, the men of Bethel wanted to know if they should continue to observe a yearly fast held on the 10^th day of the fifth month.  That date was set aside for fasting and mourning because it was the day Solomon's temple had been destroyed by the Babylonians.  

We know the men were sincere in their inquiry, so there was no doubt that God would honor their request with an answer.  Sure enough, he soon speaks a word to Zechariah.

In order to fully understand God's reply, we first need to review what we know about the Day of Atonement.

The Day of Atonement was the day that the high priest went into the Holy of Holies and made atonement for the sins of the nation of Israel for the year.  It is also the only day of fasting and mourning that God commanded the children of Israel to observe.  In addition, the Israelites were to do no work on that day.   

You can read all the details of the Day of Atonement in Leviticus chapter 16, but here are the basics:

• The process of yearly atonement began with the high priest bathing and dressing himself in white linen garments (not his regular high priestly robes). The white color symbolized the holiness required for admission into God's presence (Hebrews 12:14).

• The next step was to gather the necessary sacrifices. The high priest selected a bullock for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, which would be offered for his own sin and the sins of the other priests. He also selected two male goats and a ram which were offerings for the rest of the people. The two goats were presented before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle, where lots were cast upon them. One goat became the Lord's while the other became the scapegoat.

• Now the high priest was ready to complete the first stage of atonement, which was for himself and everyone in the priesthood. After the bullock (sin offering) was sacrificed, the high priest took a censor filled with live coals from the altar of burnt offering along with a handful of incense and entered the most holy place (the location of the Ark of the Covenant and the mercy seat).

• The high priest cast the incense upon the coals, creating a cloud which prevented him from viewing the mercy seat and the cherubim which guarded it. He then left the most holy place to pick up a basin filled with the blood of the bull. He immediately reentered the most holy place and sprinkled the blood on the mercy seat (once) and on the ground before the ark (seven times). This completed the first stage of atonement.

• In the second stage, atonement was made for the temple itself and for the people. The goat which had been selected by lot as being 'for Jehovah' was slain by the high priest, who then entered the most holy place for a third time with its blood, which he sprinkled as before – once on the mercy seat and seven times on the ground before the ark. He then proceeded to 'cleanse' the altar of burnt offering, which stood in the outer court.

• In the third stage of atonement, the high priest would place both of his hands upon the head of the remaining goat (the scapegoat) and make a solemn confession of the sins of the entire nation. By this ceremony, the sins of the people were symbolically and literally transferred to the head of the goat. The goat was then released into the wilderness.

• At the end of all this, the high priest would enter the temple, remove the special linen garments, bathe again and change into his normal high priestly garments. At that time, he would return to the outer court and offering burnt offerings for himself and the people, together with the fat of the sin offering. It literally took all day to complete these tasks.

As we read and study the Day of Atonement, the awful reality of sin becomes apparent.  Sin infected and contaminated not only the common people, but the priests and the sanctuary itself.  Sin was such a heinous problem that it required cleansing by blood and propitiation.

At that time, the required innocent blood came in the form of an animal.  The propitiation (the act of appeasing the wrath and securing the favor of an offended person – in this case God) was to be done by each individual Israelite.

So we find that in a single day each year, God provided all that was needed for the atonement of Israel:

• He mandated the correct blood sacrifices (blood being the universal medium of purification and atonement).
• He commanded the people to cease from labor that day (giving them time to consider their spiritual state, and grieve for their sins).
• He ordered a complete abstinence from food (an outward sign of inward penitence).

Let me just stress again that although the high priest was responsible for the actions associated with the atonement, each individual person was responsible for considering their own life, mourning over their own sin, and participating in their own heart-felt repentance. 

It was this inward repentance that God was seeking.  Simply going through the motions of abstaining from work and food without true repentance was empty and useless.  In fact, it was an insult to God. 

With this background in mind, let's take a closer look at the inquiry of the men of Bethel.

The first thing we notice is that God's answer was not just addressed to the men of Bethel, but to all the people of the land as well as the priesthood.  In other words, God was addressing all of the Jews.   

The second thing we notice is that God begins by answering their question with a question of his own.  By doing so, God prompts the Jews to stop and examine something in their own lives.

God acknowledges that the men did, in fact, fast in the fifth (and seventh) months every year since the captivity, just as they claimed.  But the real question was this:  What was the motivation behind the fast?

Was it to honor and glorify the Lord?  Was it to truly mourn over the sins of the nation which caused the destruction of the temple and the captivity?  Or were these human-appointed fasts done for private motives or sentimental reasons?  Should God be pleased with a fast that he did not sanction, for reasons that did not glorify him?    

Zechariah 7:6 – "And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves?"

God goes on to question their motives in everyday life when they partake of food and drink at will.  In those instances, is there a motivation to please and glorify God?  Are they thankful for what God has provided for them?  Do they care about the needs of others? 

God makes it very clear that regardless of whether the Jews chose to fast or feast, they were doing it to please themselves.  Neither scenario was designed to bring honor and glory to God.  Because that was the case, God had no interest in whether they fasted or not!

As for us, we are told to honor God in both our days of mourning/fasting and in our days of freely eating/drinking:

1 Corinthians 10:31 - Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.

This leads us to conclude that we can honor God by fasting and we can honor him in feasting. The key is that we need to be doing what pleases and honors him, not ourselves.

 Zechariah 7:7 – "Were not these the words that the Lord proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous, with her cities around her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited?"

The Lord directs the current generation of Jews to reconsider the instruction and commands he had already given them, back when their ancestors were dwelling in the Promised Land, enjoying all of his blessings.

During that time, God had repeatedly exhorted the Jews to seek godly repentance.  He made it very clear that true religion did not consist of mere outward actions like fasting or ceasing from labor; God was concerned with the attitudes and conditions of their hearts.

1 Samuel 16:7 -  But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.

(See also Genesis 6:5, Deuteronomy 6:4-6, Deuteronomy 8:5, Joshua 22:5, Joshua 24:23, etc).  In order to be righteous before God, the outward actions of the Jews had to reflect their inward thoughts and the motivations of their hearts – but in the matter of their human appointed fasts, they did not match up.  

Therefore, the Jews were doubly wicked – they acted as though they were very anxious not to offend God (in canceling the fast), but this was a false pretence because they were never concerned with pleasing him by their fast in the first place!

The truth is that if the Jews were truly seeking to please and honor the Lord, it would have shown up in the actions of their everyday lives.  We know this because whatever is in the heart of a person manifests in his or her actions.

Matthew 7:16 - You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

This is easy to understand, if we will do exactly what the Lord instructed the Jews of Zechariah's day to do – consider the words/instruction that God had already given the Jews through his law and prophets. 

For instance, in Isaiah 58:1-3, the Jews who lived before the captivity asked God why he did not see or honor their fasts.  God replied that while they were abstaining from food, they were seeking their own pleasures, oppressing their workers and participating in constant fighting and quarreling.  God was very adamant that he would not honor such a fast:

Isaiah 58:4 - Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high.

God then goes on to tell the Jews that the 'fast' which pleases him is when they seek to exhibit love, mercy and justice in their everyday lives.

Isaiah 58:6-7 – Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yolk, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

These actions of mercy, justice and love are the result of an inward motivation – loving the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength and loving your neighbor as yourself.   If the Jews had followed these simple, straight-forward commands of God, they would have avoided the captivity all together and there would be no reason for the current generation to fast in the fifth month.

 

The lesson God was teaching was this: The Jews anxiously inquired about their fasts, but instead they should have been diligently heeding the lessons taught by the prophets and verified through the captivity – obedience is better than the sacrifice of vain fasting (I Samuel 15:22).

This is a lesson that we too must learn and heed.  God has not changed (Malachi 3:8).  He expects the believers of our generation to love him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:29-31).  He expects righteousness to manifest itself in the actions and decisions we make every day of our lives.  We too are to show love, mercy and justice to our fellow man.

Zechariah 7:8-9 – And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah saying, "Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another."

The Lord now goes on to reiterate some of the specific commands he had already given his people through the earlier prophets.

The first among these is a mandate to judge justly.  Because the average person was not in a position to judge, this command was specifically aimed at the elders and judges of the nation.

 

Since they are reminded/commanded to decide cases in a fair and equitable manner according to the law, we can assume that they were doing the opposite – taking bribes, rendering judgments that would benefit themselves, or making favorable decisions for friends and family.

Next, the Lord addresses all of the Jews.  In addition to not lying, harming, defrauding or cheating each other, they are to go one step further by showing kindness and mercy to one another, on a daily basis.  Again, this is not a new command:

Micah 6:8 - He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

In other words, they were to minister to those who needed food, clothing and shelter in addition to assisting anyone who was in distress physically, mentally or emotionally.

These are the things God required of his people, and to fulfill these commands was more acceptable to God than any amount of sacrifices or fasts.

Zechariah 7:10 – Do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner or the poor and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart."

Having reminded the Jews to practice positive acts of love, he now forbids any actions that are harmful to others.  Widows, orphans and foreigners are specifically mentioned because they are the most likely people to suffer oppression (because they have no one to help them), but the command applies to every single person in the nation.   

So we find that the word of the Lord to Zechariah was the exact same word that he presented to the Jews through the law and numerous prophets (Jeremiah 7:5-7, Leviticus 19:18, Deuteronomy 10:17-19, Isaiah 1:16-17, etc). 

 

The point being made here is that love and respect for God is not demonstrated through mere robotic observation of religious rituals (like fasting in the fifth month).  Love for God first takes root within our hearts and minds.  Then, because of what we have inside, our outward actions toward our fellow man will automatically reflect our love for God.  This treatment of others is what honors and pleases the Lord (Matthew 22:37-40). 

Zechariah 7:11 – But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear.

The Lord now begins to give a history lesson to the current generation of Jews.  'They' refers to their forefathers, the generations who lived before the 70-year captivity. 

God describes them as people who 'turned a stubborn shoulder'.  What does that mean?

To shoulder something means to take on a burden or a responsibility.  To shoulder a responsibility is to willingly step up and commit to serving in a certain capacity. 

God had made a covenant with the Jews. He blessed them and watched over them. In return he expected them to serve him, to live by his laws and to be a witness for him in front of the heathen nations. But instead of shouldering that responsibility and submitting to God's yoke, they 'turned a stubborn shoulder'.

In other words, the prior generations had been fully warned and instructed in the commands of God.  They were aware of the blessings for obedience and the curses for rebellion.  But for some reason, they chose to shake off their fear/respect for the Lord and they refused to submit to his authority, even though God's yoke is easy and his burden is light (Matthew 11:30).

Even at that point God did not give up on his people. He sent them prophet after prophet and gave them warning after warning to turn from their wicked ways.  But they refused to hear what the Lord was saying to them through the law and the prophets.  

The Jews acted wickedly, obstinately refusing to obey God, despite the fact that his teaching was clear and easy to understand.

As a result, those who refused to bear the light and joyful burden of the Lord were instead forced to bear the heaviest and most depressing weight possible – that of their own sin.     

Zechariah 7:12 – They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets.  Therefore, great anger came from the Lord of hosts.

In just a few short verses, God more or less sums up the entire history of the Jewish people. 

One - They refused to hear (or chose to ignore) the words/commands of the Lord which were fully explained and clearly revealed to them. 

Two – They chose to rebel against God, turning a stubborn shoulder to him.  God responded by using promises, threats and even minor chastisement to bring them back into the yoke of obedience/submission.

Three – The Jews spiritually 'dug in their heels' so to speak.  In other words, they hardened their hearts against the voice of the Lord, as revealed through his word and his messengers.  They became unyielding and stubbornly wicked, refusing to repent and follow the commands of God, making their hearts as hard as diamonds.  Yet, at the same time, they continued participating in vain religious observances.

Jeremiah 17:1 - The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is engraved upon the tablet of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars;

Four – Their obduracy (active resistance of the heart and will against the pleading/calling of God) and stubbornness resulted in a hardening or deadening of their sensibilities; it eventually resulted in a calloused or seared conscience (I Timothy 4:1-2). 

The end result of this kind of behavior is that the Jews suffered the wrath/anger of the Lord. This was not (or should not have been) a surprise to them.  When God entered into a covenant with Israel, he was very clear about the blessings for the nation that obeyed and the curses that were in store for those who rebelled.  Because God is always faithful to his promises, Israel was judged and sent into captivity.

Zechariah 7:13 – "As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear," says the Lord of hosts,

This is a very, very sobering verse.  When dealing with mankind, God's first choice is always mercy.  He always sends us a warning about our sin and he allows a time for us to repent.  His desire is for us to be reconciled to him, and for us to remain on the paths of obedience and righteousness where he can bless us.

However, if we refuse his mercy and persist in rebellion, God has every right to be angry and offended with us.  He has every right to stop listening to those who refuse to listen to him. 

The substance of this verse is that the people of God reaped exactly what they had planted – Holy Spirit called, warned, entreated and urged the Jews to repent of their sin so they could live, but they refused.  So when the day of calamity came and they cried to God by fasting, praying and mourning during their distress, he refused to listen to their cries: 

Micah 3:4 - Then shall they cry unto the LORD, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves in an evil way in their deeds.

God promises the same thing in Isaiah 1:15, Proverbs 1:27-29, Hosea 5:6, Jeremiah 11:14 and Jeremiah 14:12.   

As the Jews knew all too well, continuing down the path of evil will always result in heartache, destruction or worse. 

Zechariah 7:14 - and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known.  Thus the land they left was desolate, so that no one went to and fro, and the pleasant land was made desolate."

Because the Jews living in the Promised Land refused to be faithful to the Lord and show mercy to their fellow man, they eventually came to the place of judgment/chastisement; they were cast out of the land and sent into captivity.   

This verse (verse 14) describes the swift victories and cruel conduct of the Babylonians after they conquered the nation of Israel – they came upon the Jews like a whirlwind, tossing them to and fro and scattering them into other nations.

Jerusalem was a prosperous city when the Babylonians entered it, but it was as desolate as a desert when they finally left.  The land which was formerly full of men and cattle and which flowed with milk and honey became a wilderness which no other people group chose to inhabit after its destruction.       

Chapter 7 abruptly ends at this point.  While it seems like an awkward place to just stop, we must remember that the chapter and verse divisions in the bible were not originally there; they were added later.  The message which began in chapter 7 continues on into chapter 8, which we will examine in our next post.  Eventually we will reach a logical conclusion regarding the question of the men of Bethel.

However, before we go, let's review what we know so far:

• The men of Bethel approached the prophets and priests of Jerusalem with a question about continuing a long-term fast which was instituted when Solomon's temple was destroyed. This was not a fast God had sanctioned; the Jews appointed this fast themselves.

• God answers them through the prophet Zechariah. But it was not a simple yes-or-no answer. God took this opportunity to issue a sharp reproof to the entire nation.

• Although they had fasted, it was nothing more than a vain, meaningless ritual because their hearts were far from God. Because they were not concerned with the glory of God and the just treatment of their fellow man, their fasts were worthless religious exercises which could never please the Lord.

• God then moves on to pointing out the warnings and instructions that he had given to the Jews by the mouths of his prophets and through the written law. Their ancestors were disobedient to the instructions of God, which eventually led to the punishment of captivity.

 

Let me offer you some encouragement:

God is never interested in vain empty rituals.  People around us can be fooled or falsely impressed with our alleged service to God, but the Lord is never fooled.  He looks into our very soul and discerns the thoughts and intents of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12). 

Therefore, we should take a few minutes and examine ourselves. Here are some things to consider:

• Isn't it true that you can go to church and sing, but not really be engaged in worship?
• Isn't it true that you can utter a quick prayer before you eat, but not express true gratitude for your food?
• Isn't it true that you can use Christian lingo and attend Christian services/events but still not be a true disciple of Christ?
• Isn't it true that you can throw money into the offering plate, but not truly present God with an acceptable offering?
• Isn't it true that you can partake of the communion elements, but not really have fellowship with Jesus?

If you find areas of your life where you need to repent and change your ways, I encourage you to do that today.   

 

Let me offer you some relief and some strength:

Have you ever lived close to a railroad crossing or an airport?  I had some friends who literally had train tracks in their backyard.  When I went to visit with them, the train kept distracting me all night long.  I wondered how they ever got any sleep!

But much to my surprise, they said that after a few weeks, they simply stopped hearing the trains.  Once they got accustomed to the noise, they were able to simply tune it out.

In the spiritual realm, this describes people who have hardened their hearts to the gospel message.  When a sinner first hears the gospel, he or she is likely to become very uncomfortable and disturbed.  For the first time, they recognize that they are sinners and they need the blood of Christ to cleanse that sin away. 

However, if they harden their hearts against the wooing of Holy Spirit long enough, they will cease to be bothered by the message; they will get accustomed to it and soon tune it out altogether.  In this case, their final spiritual state is much worse than the first, for they have disregarded the one thing that can reconcile them to God. 

Oh, how sad for the soul who is on the fringes of Christianity, but misses a true relationship with Christ!  Don't let that happen to you!

If you are reading this blog right now and you need to accept Christ into your life for the first time, or if you have been away from the Lord and you need to recommit your life to him, DON'T WAIT – DO IT NOW!

If you have prayed before then I encourage you to bow your head right now, and cry out to the Lord for forgiveness and grace. Once that is done, find a solid local church and begin to fellowship with other believers who will help you grow in grace and keep you rooted in the faith.

 

If you have no idea how to pray, or you have never given your heart to the Lord, then take advantage of the following prayer. Prayer is nothing more than having a conversation with God. There is no wrong way to pray. I suggest going to a private place, where you tell God you are sorry (and mean it from your heart) and repeat the prayer found below. If you do so with a sincere heart, then God will cleanse you from sin and make you a member of his family!

You too will need to find a local church, get into fellowship with other believers, and develop a prayer life.  You will find resources to help you at your local church!

 

Dear Jesus, I confess to you that I am a sinner. I am sorry for all the wrong things I have done and I ask you to forgive me. I believe that you are the Son of God, that you died on the cross and rose again, and that your blood paid the price for my sin. I invite you to come into my heart and life and to be my Lord and Savior. I commit myself to you right now. Thank you for saving me from death and giving me the gift of eternal life. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer and sincerely meant it, then you have received the gift of salvation from Jesus Christ!

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Zechariah 7:1 – In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev.

Welcome back, dear readers!  I hope you enjoyed (and benefitted from) our study of the visions of Zechariah. 

 

One of the wonderful things about Zechariah is that he gives us several dates as well as the names of rulers, which help us to date his work.  Chapter 7 takes place around 518 BC, which was two years after the series of visions and two years before the completion of the temple (Ezra 6:15).  In our calendar, the month Chislev corresponds to mid November thru mid December.

Zechariah 7:2 – Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men to entreat the favor of the Lord

As you recall, the city of Bethel is mentioned numerous times in the Old Testament.

• Abram stayed there for a while, as he was journeying around the Promised Land, before God had given him children (Genesis 12:8). Abram built an altar to the Lord at that place, and he sought the presence of the Lord there.

• Later, his grandson Jacob would stay in the same place as he was fleeing from his brother, after he 'bought' Esau's birthright. This was the place where he had his famous vision of the ladder leading up to heaven (Genesis 28:10-22).

• Bethel is approximately 12 miles north of Jerusalem. When the Promised Land was divided up by tribes, Bethel fell to the tribe of Benjamin, but they were unable to conquer it, and it was finally settled by the men of Ephraim.

• Later, Bethel was one of the cities that Samuel visited on his rounds as a circuit judge of the nation (I Samuel 7:16).

• During the era of the kings, the city fell into apostasy under King Jeroboam, who erected an idol there (a calf) for the people to worship instead of going to the temple in Jerusalem (I Kings 12:26-29).

• After the fall of Israel and the captivity, we find that a number of the men of Bethel left Babylon to come to Jerusalem and help rebuild the temple (Ezra 2:28, Nehemiah 7:32).

Bethel had long been a place where men had sought the Lord. In this particular instance, we find that the leaders of Bethel sent a delegation of men to Jerusalem for the express purpose of seeking some answers from the Lord.

We do not know how many men were in the group, but we do know the leaders of the delegation were Sharezer and Regem-melech. Nothing else is known about these men. All we can surmise is that they were important men of that day, for it would be an insult to the priests, prophets and men of Jerusalem to send common or unimportant persons on such a visit.

The purpose of their visit was to 'entreat the favor of the Lord'.  In other words, they were seeking an answer from the Lord concerning a specific situation which was very important to them. 

The word 'entreat' means more than just praying.  It also includes elements of sacrifice, worship and seeking council from the religious leaders (priests and prophets).  The men of Bethel realized that only place where the Lord could properly be consulted was in Jerusalem.  Even though the temple was not yet complete, the Jews in Jerusalem had erected an altar and were offering regular sacrifices to the Lord, which meant that fellowship with God had been re-established:

Ezra 3:3,6 - And they set the altar upon its bases; for fear was upon them because of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD, even burnt offerings morning and evening From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid.

So the citizens of Bethel formed a committee, packed their bags, gathered money/goods for a gift, selected animals for the sacrifices and set out for the former capital. 

Zechariah 7:3 - saying to the priests of the house of the Lord of hosts and the prophets, "Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?"   

Now we discover the question or issue that these men wanted to bring before the Lord:  Should they continue to weep and abstain in the fifth month, as they had been doing for many years, or could they stop doing that?

What are these men referring to?

When Nebuchadnezzar captured the city of Jerusalem, one of the things he did was burn the city.  Specifically, he burned the king's house, the house of the Lord (Solomon's temple) and all the rich men's homes.  This occurred on the tenth day of the fifth month:

Jeremiah 52:12-13 - Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzar-adan, captain of the guard, who served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem, and burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the houses of the great men, burned he with fire:

However, it should be noted that based on other scriptures, these fires may have begun on the seventh of the month and finally burned out on the tenth day (see II Kings 25:8-10).

At any rate, the 'weeping and abstaining' was in regard to the destruction of the temple.

Remember, the temple was the place of fellowship between God and man.  It was the location where sacrifices were brought to the Lord and the place where the high priest made atonement for their sin.  It was the place where the annual feasts were celebrated and the people were blessed.  The temple was a symbol of the national identity of the Jews.  Its destruction was the most grievous thing that had ever happened to them. 

So the Jews established a day of mourning and fasting in the fifth month to commemorate this loss. 

Furthermore, this was not the only day of national weeping and fasting.

After Nebuchadnezzar has taken the city, he removed nearly all of the inhabitants, leaving just enough people so that the land of Israel did not turn into a wild wasteland. Those that remained (the poor) were to continue shepherding and growing crops. At that time, he named Gedaliah as ruler over Jerusalem (II Kings 25:22).

However, several years after Gedaliah became ruler, he was murdered in the seventh month of the year and subsequently, the remainder of the Jews were driven from the land.

2 Kings 25:25 - But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him at Mizpah.

So the Jews added another day of mourning and fasting (in the seventh month) for the nation.  During these two days, the Jews were to humble themselves before the Lord and seek his pardon for their wicked ways. 

These were the reasons for the two days of fasting each year.  It appears as though the Jews had observed these two days of sorrow and repentance ever since the captivity, which was a little over 70 years by this time.   

But now, their situation had changed. The priesthood had already been re-established, there was a functioning altar in Jerusalem, and the temple was in the process of being rebuilt.

Now the men had come to inquire of the Lord whether or not they needed to continue observing these yearly days of weeping, fasting and repentance.  They seem to be asking if they could turn these days into joyous celebrations because there was an end of the calamities that had befallen the Jews.

The actions of the men of Bethel give us some insight into their spiritual state. 

Clearly, they were not overly zealous for the Lord.  They had no desire to give up the relatively easy and prosperous life they were living in Bethel for the trials and tribulations of Jerusalem.  The Lord had opened up a door of opportunity for them to return, but they reacted with ingratitude, rejecting the kindness of God. 

On the other hand, there was also some evidence that they still had a smoldering ember of true faith.  Before they did anything that was displeasing to the Lord, they came to offer sacrifices and ask the advice of the priests and prophets (Haggai and Zechariah), who were to be consulted in all matters of religion. 

Malachi 2:7 - For the priest's lips should preserve knowledge, and they should seek the law from his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

We can conclude that the citizens of Bethel believed that they could (and should) humble themselves before the Lord and seek his wisdom through prayer. 

We can also conclude that they believed and trusted the ability of the priests and prophets to rightly interpret the law and to seek answers from the Lord. 

They are also to be commended for practicing intercession – they were seeking answers for the benefit of everyone in the city, not just themselves.

Their actions show that they were 100% certain they would receive an answer from the Lord.  And as we will see in our next post, they did receive one – but was it the answer they were looking for?   

 

Let me offer you some encouragement and some relief:

The men of Bethel were far from perfect, but their actions and attitudes show that they expected to receive an answer when they sought the Lord.  They believed that God was faithful in hearing and answering prayer.  They believed that God's wisdom could be discovered through the prophets and priests, who had specialized knowledge of his word.  

We too can expect to hear from the Lord, even if we aren't perfect.  Jesus assures us that we are his sheep, that we can hear his voice, and that he leads us in the direction we should go:

John 10:27 – My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

We can hear his voice by following many of the same principles used by the men of Bethel.

• We should begin our seeking by offering God a sacrifice of praise. Scripture tells us that we enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise (Psalm 100). This builds our faith and puts us in the right frame of mind to receive/hear our answer.

• After our sacrifice, we must humble ourselves before Jesus and seek our answer through prayer. Part of this includes having the faith to believe that God will answer (Hebrews 11:6, Luke 18:1-8).

• Our next step is to quietly wait before the Lord in an attitude of worship, listening to hear what Holy Spirit says to us. It may take a bit of practice before you recognize his voice, but don't give up. Soon you will recognize when he is speaking to you.

• I also recommend that you search out scriptures that pertain to your question because God often speaks to us through his word.

• The scriptures will also provide a confirmation of what you have heard, because God will never speak a word to you that is contrary to his revealed will.

• The men of Bethel also sought wise council from the priests/prophets of their day. Likewise, we can also seek Godly advice from our pastors and teachers.

Whatever stage you are at in this journey, keep in mind that hearing the voice of the Lord is a process; it's a skill you develop over time with practice.       

Finally, if we pay particular attention to the request of the men of Bethel, we find something interesting - they were not asking the Lord to bless them or to give them something. They were asking what God wanted them to do!

What a wonderful way to pray! How much of our prayer life is devoted to seeking God's will and desire for our lives? How much time and effort do we put into intercession for others?

 

Let me offer you some strength:

We don't always receive an answer to prayer right away.  Sometimes we must be persistent in asking until the answer comes. 

In the New Testament (Luke 18:1-8), Jesus gives us the parable of a persistent widow, who would not give up praying until she received her answer. 

This is a good example for us to follow.  We need to stay strong in our faith and keep praying until we receive an answer.

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Zechariah 6:9 – And the word of the Lord came to me:  

God had finally ceased pouring visions into the prophet Zechariah.  The visions themselves were far reaching; they spoke of the prosperity and enlargement of Israel as well as the doom of her enemies. 

The visions went thousands of years into the future, touching on the coming of the Messiah and the final battle between the kingdom of the antichrist and the kingdom of God.  God had provided a glimpse of his future plans for Israel and the world.    

I imagine the Jewish men (and women) discussed these visions at length, and spent a lot of time mulling them over in their minds (I know I would).  I bet they tried to work out some way in which God would bring these amazing events to pass.    

Considering human nature, I am equally sure they expected the visions to be fulfilled in a short amount of time – maybe even that very day or month! 

But the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months and the visions did not come to pass. 

The temple was finally rebuilt, but it fell far, far short of the glory of Solomon's temple.  For many, it was a great disappointment.  

Meanwhile, the struggles of daily life in Jerusalem continued:

• The enemies of the Jews continued to mock and oppose them.
• The Jews had to rid themselves of their foreign wives, and recommit themselves to the Lord (Ezra 10:10-12), which was a very painful exercise.
• The Jews missed the family and friends that they left in Babylon.
• They continued the difficult and seemingly endless task of taming the land they possessed, making it suitable for farming or grazing.

Let's be honest - although God promised that the kingdom of David would once again be made glorious, the Jews of that generation certainly were not experiencing it.    

I can understand how the Jews might feel that God's favor (allowing them to leave Babylon and come back to Jerusalem) might seem more like a curse than a blessing.  I can easily imagine the griping, complaining and doubting that ensued.

It isn't hard to imagine that as people endured the grind of daily life, the majesty and glory of the visions would fade.  Perhaps there were even some who doubted the visions that Zechariah claimed to have seen. 

So God, in his great mercy, speaks to Israel again. This time he did not speak through a vision seen solely by the prophet. Instead, he directs Zechariah to create a tangible token or sign of the glorious blessings that were coming.

Zechariah 6:10 - "Take from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon, and go the same day to the house of Josiah, the son of Zephaniah."

Here we learn of either the arrival or the gathering of three men, who are subsequently taken to the house of Josiah, son of Zephaniah.

There is a difference of opinion about these three men. 

Some say that the Jews who remained in Babylon had collected an offering of silver and gold for the new temple and these three high ranking men - Heldai (also known as Helem or Chelem - worldliness), Tobijah (the Lord is good) and Jedaiah (God knows/cares) were commissioned to visit Jerusalem to deliver the gift.  They were also to bring word back to Babylon regarding the temple and all that was happening in Jerusalem.

Others believe that these three men were indeed Jewish officials from Babylon, but they were not bringing an offering collected by the Jews.  They were delivering vessels of gold and silver that had been taken from Solomon's temple and put into storage after the death of Nebuchadnezzar.  These were to be delivered to the new temple by order of Cyrus, who had commissioned the work (Ezra chapter 1).  

A third theory claims that these three high ranking men had actually left Babylon permanently and were residing in Jerusalem. However, they were very weak in faith and did not believe the promises of God which had been revealed through the visions of Zechariah.

Worse yet, they were negatively affecting the other Jews, sowing seeds of doubt and unbelief.  Those who hold to this explanation believe that God commanded them to give an offering for this work as a reproof for their unbelief.  The idea is that because of this sacrifice and the subsequent sign it provided, they would cease spreading doubt and unbelief among their fellow Jews.

As for Josiah son of Zephaniah (also called Hem), he is clearly a resident of Jerusalem, because he has a house there.  He is either a craftsman who has the ability to work with gold and silver, or he is an official treasurer of the temple.

Here we find an underlying principle of the kingdom of heaven – did you catch it? 

Each one of us has a role to fulfill; the work of the kingdom is only complete when we all pitch in.

• Some are gifted to be pastors, teachers, or evangelists.
• Some people have a knack for organization and paperwork.
• Some specialize in children's ministry.
• Still others give of themselves by cleaning the church or maintaining the grounds.
• There are those who have a true heart for ministering to the needy or the shut-ins.
• There are those who can afford to be exceptionally generous to the work of the Lord.
• Many are gifted in praise and worship.

What role are you fulfilling in your local church?  

Next, we want to note that the command given to Zechariah reveals a clear sense of urgency.  There is to be no delay in carrying out the command of God; it is to happen immediately (the same day) as the men arrive in Jerusalem. 

If the three men are coming as visitors, they are to be taken to the house of Josiah immediately upon their arrival.  If they are residents of Jerusalem, then they are to accompany Zechariah to the house of Josiah the same day that God gave the prophet this command.   

Zechariah 6:11 – "Take from them silver and gold, and make a crown, and set it on the head of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest."

Interestingly, the original text does not specify if there was one crown or two.  Some feel that there were actually two crowns, one made of silver and one made of gold.  If this were the case, then both crowns were placed upon the head of the priest.

However, it would also make sense to think that there was only one crown made of a mixture of both materials.

In either case, what we find happening here is actually a coronation – Joshua the priest is crowned as if he were a king!

In a public ceremony, held at the site of the temple, this crown was to be placed on the head of Joshua, the high priest.  But, as you recall from our prior studies, the high priest already had a head covering – a miter. 

We discussed the importance of this head covering back in the fourth vision of Zechariah.  By way of review, we can say that the headdress of the high priest was a significant part of his official robes.  It had a golden plate fastened upon it which read "Holy to the Lord":

Exodus 28:36-38 - And you shall make a plate of pure gold, and engrave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.  And upon the front of the turban it shall be.  And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.

This engraved plate reflected the fact that the high priest (and ONLY the high priest) was called to bear the guilt of the children of Israel.  If anyone else tried to bear it, they would die because of their sin.

So the picture presented to us is that the new crown was placed on top of the miter that Joshua the high priest was already wearing.  In effect, he had two crowns on his head at once.  

This was astonishing to the Jews.  Such a thing had never taken place before in the history of Israel!  All priests came from the lineage of Aaron (tribe of Levi), while the kings came from the seed of David (tribe of Judah). 

Thus, there was always a distinction between kings and priests.  It would have been very strange to find a king from the tribe of Levi.  Likewise, it would have been contrary to God's appointed order to have a priest from the tribe of Judah.  

In the past, Melchizedek was the only man who had occupied both offices (Genesis 14:18).  But now God was showing that in the future, another would arise who would permanently hold both offices – the Branch, also known as the Messiah!  

Zechariah 6:12 – And say to him, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, "Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord."'

Picture the scene: The Jews have gathered at the temple where Zechariah, along with Josiah and the three dignitaries from Babylon, summon Joshua the son of Zephaniah.  When he appears wearing his high priestly garments, Zechariah unveils a royal crown, made of silver and gold, which he places upon the head of the priest, over the miter he already wore. 

The people were no doubt gasping in surprise.  They surely wanted to know the meaning of this unexpected event.  

At that point, Zechariah gives the Jews a message directly from God.  Joshua and his crowns were a symbol of the one who would be the Branch (mentioned in the fourth vision, Zechariah 3:8) or the Messiah.  When the Branch came, he would occupy the offices of both priest and king.   

The Lord was very specific that the Branch/Messiah will 'branch out from his place'. 

Branching out could refer to the literal place(s) where the Branch arose, namely the land of Judea, including Bethlehem, Galilee and Nazareth.  If so, it indicates that Jesus rose from humble obscurity to a place of fame and eminence.

Branching out may also refer to a Davidic king arising after Israel had been 'cut off' as a nation.  After the captivity, the line of David no longer had any ruling power.  It could be said that the royal line had been cut off, like a tree is cut down above ground, never to exist again.

But with God, all things are possible!  Though the line of David seemed to be dead, its root was still alive.  From that root God would raise a shoot or branch from of the lineage of David who would once again sit on the throne of royal power.  

Isaiah 11:10 - And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, who shall stand as an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his place of rest shall be glorious.

Zechariah also adds that the Branch will 'build the temple of the Lord'.  Obviously, he was not referring to the current temple, as that was finished by Zerubbabel (Zechariah 4:9).  Therefore the prophet must be speaking of another temple.

This new temple would not be an earthly temple made with hands, but a spiritual temple – the church.  The Branch/Messiah would be the foundation of it:

Matthew 21:42 - Jesus said unto them, Did you never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same has become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?  

He would also be the master builder and head of it:

Colossians 1:18 - And he [Jesus] is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

The glory of the new spiritual temple built by the Messiah would be so great, the temple of Solomon would pale in comparison (Haggai 2:6-9).  The Messiah will sit upon his throne as both King and Priest; a thing never before heard of or imagined by anyone.  Indeed, he himself was like no other person:   

• The Messiah was the true and eternal God; he was with God from the beginning (John 1:1-2).

• Yet he was also truly a man, of the lineage of David. He was the 'branch' of God (Isaiah 4:2), born into the flesh by a virgin through the power of Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35).

• The Messiah was both God and man, without any change of one nature into the other or confusion of one with the other.

• He was sent to be God's servant for the redemption of lost sinners. As such, he took upon himself the form of a servant; he came to minister not to be ministered to (Mark 10:45).

• However, one day he will be exalted as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, ruling and reigning as our Savior and King forever (Revelation 19:16).� Every knee will bow before him and every tongue will confess that he is Lord (Philippians 2:9-11).

What could be more glorious or more precious than the Branch, the one who is both man and God, the one who perfectly balances justice and mercy?

Zechariah 6:13 – "'It is he who shall build the temple of the Lord and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne.  And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both."'

Here Zechariah affirms once again that it would be the Branch/Messiah who builds the spiritual temple known as the church.  This would not be a temple built by human hands; God was planning to dwell within the hearts of his people!

As for his throne, it will be one of unmatched power, honor and glory:

Luke 1:32-33 - He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.  

In this passage, the Lord declares through Zechariah that Jesus will sit upon his throne, which implies security and permanence.  No one has the ability to take this throne/authority away from him; his kingdom will last forever:

Daniel 2:44 - And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.

Thus, the Branch/Messiah will forever rule from his throne.  As ruler, he will make laws, distribute rewards and punish offenders.

Not only that, the Messiah will sit upon his royal throne as a priest too:

Psalm 110:4 - The LORD has sworn, and will not relent, you are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

Christ does not cease to be our mediator and high priest when he takes his place on his throne.  All power will be given to him in heaven and on earth but he will still 'ever live to make intercession' for the saints (Hebrews 7:25).

Indeed we are told that he makes intercession for us while sitting at the right hand of the Father, which indicates a position of authority (Hebrews 8:1).

We are also told that the Branch or Messiah will bear royal honor (your translation may say 'glory'). This means he will bear the weight of all the cares and concerns of his church and kingdom, both small and great; those of every individual, however important or insignificant.

Obviously, that kind of honor/glory is a burden that you and I could never manage.  But it's not too heavy for Jesus because he is the self-sufficient God who upholds all things by his power and might. 

In former times, the glory of the priesthood and the glory of royal power had been divided between the house of Aaron and the house of David.  Now Christ alone would bear the glory of both mantles. 

The glory of the nation of Israel had long been tarnished, but Jesus would eventually raise it up out of the dust as he was the Israelite in whom all the nations of the earth are blessed (Genesis 22:18, 26:4).    

Zechariah also states that the 'council of peace shall be between them both'.  Two main explanations have been given for this clause. 

The first says that the 'council' refers to the complete peace and unity which would occur between the High Priest and the King, when Jesus takes on both mantles of authority.  It points to the peace which ensues when the requirement of God's justice is fulfilled by the sacrifice of our great High Priest.   

The second explanation says that the 'council' refers to the peace between the Father and Son, as the salvation of man was both the will of the Father and the Son.

A third explanation says that says the 'council' refers to the gospel, which unites Jews and Gentiles together in peace and love into one united kingdom of God.

The combining of the offices of priest and king makes perfect sense to those of us living in the age of grace. However, it was an enormous shock to the men of Zechariah's day as nothing of the sort was even hinted at under the law. This was a completely new revelation for them.

Zechariah 6:14 – And the crown shall be in the temple of the Lord as a reminder to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah.

Oddly, there does not appear to be any reason why 'Helem' is used instead of Heldai or why 'Hem' is used instead of Josiah in this verse, because they are obviously the same people.

At any rate, Joshua did not keep the new crown (or crowns).  It was subsequently placed in the temple, where it could be viewed by all of Israel.  The crown became a memorial, or a reminder of the promise of God.

When the Jews looked at their circumstances, they were tempted to think that God's promises were never going to come to pass. But instead of sinking into unbelief, all they needed to do was look at that crown and remember that God was in control. At the appointed time, he was going to bring forth the Branch/Messiah, who would sit on the throne of his Father David as both a king and priest.

Many commentators also see symbolism in the crown itself.  They believe the silver and gold represent the honor and glory of Christ as both King and Priest, as well as the unification of the Jews and Gentiles under Christ, who is head of the church.

Zechariah 6:15 – "And those who are far off shall come and help to build the temple of the Lord.  And you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.  And this shall come to pass, if you will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God."

Who are the people who will come from 'far off' to help build the temple of the Lord?

Primarily, these 'far off' people were Jews who were living in Babylon, Persia and other remote places of the world.  Some came to Jerusalem to help with the actual labor of building, while others sent monetary gifts to assist in the building and maintenance of the temple.

Once these gifts (labor and money) began to flow into Jerusalem, it was a sign to the men of that day that Zechariah's prophesy was indeed of the Lord.

However, there is another explanation as well.  'Far off' does not necessarily refer to those who are logistically far away.  It also points to men/women who are spiritually far away from God.  In this case, it refers to the Gentiles.

This is confirmed by the apostle Paul, who actually describes the Gentiles as being 'far off' from Christ:

Ephesians 2:13-14 - But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

When the Branch/Messiah sacrificed himself for our sins, he took on the dual role of our High Priest and King.  The first thing he did was open up the kingdom of heaven to the Gentiles. 

Once they were admitted into the kingdom, the Gentiles assisted in the growth of the church by providing labor and wealth.  Even in our own generation, we see evidence of the Gentiles contributing to the building of the church through mission work, personal evangelism, printing and distribution of the scriptures, and countless other ministries.

And again this word from the Lord circles back to the fact that the Jews were disappointed by the new temple.  It's no wonder that God commanded them not to despise the day of small beginnings, for his glorious purposes and plans (creation of the church) were too awesome for them to even conceive. 

How could the Jews of Zechariah's day ever have imagined that the temple they built was the very place where Jesus the Branch/Messiah would later preach about the kingdom of heaven? (It's mind-boggling, isn't it?)

Zechariah assures the Jews they can believe the word he now delivers to them, because it (the coming of the Messiah) will be brought about by the Lord of Hosts, the one whose power is infinite. No person, power or thing can stand against the will of God, when it pleases him to take action.

Isaiah 46:9-10 - Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

Notice that at the very last thing Zechariah tells the Jews is that 'this shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God'. 

How are we to interpret this phrase?

We can be sure that the prophet is NOT saying that coming of the Messiah is in any way dependent upon the actions of man.  Even if all of Israel turned away from God, they could not stop the coming of the Messiah. They could in no way hinder him from taking on the dual mantles of King and Priest.

Rather, this phrase is to be taken as a warning; the promises mentioned here are conditional. The Jews' part in building up the spiritual kingdom of God and enjoying his blessings and favor was dependent upon their faithfulness to God and their willingness to receive the Messiah.

If they chose unbelief over faith in God's promises, they would deprive themselves of all the blessings and favor that God had in store for them.  Unfortunately, many refused to do so during the incarnation (John 8:47, John 18:37).  

 

Let me offer you some encouragement:

The Jews back in the day of Zechariah were stuck in unbelief.  Because the promises of God did not happen immediately, they began to think the promises would never come to pass.  If they continued in unbelief, they would forfeit the peace that God wanted them to have. 

Keep in mind that peace is not just the absence of turmoil.  It refers to the perfection of all the highest blessings of God, both temporal and spiritual.

God wants to bless you just as much as he did the children of Israel.  So I encourage you to stand firm in your faith, keeping a tight hold on the promises God has given to you.  Do not wallow in unbelief, but speak the Word over your situation until you see the answer come!

 

Let me offer you some relief:

As we saw in this passage of scripture, God used Zechariah to be his prophet, three ambassadors to bring a gift and a craftsman to make a crown.  It took the talents and efforts of all these men for God's will be done.

This indicates that each one of us has special gifts and talents that the Lord has given us.  No one gift is any more important than another; all are needed for the proper functioning of the church. 

What is your role? What talents has God given to you?  How has your role changed or evolved over time?  What are you doing for his kingdom today??

If you are busy comparing yourself to others, stop it!  Instead, diligently serve the Lord in whatever way he has opened up for you.  And remember - the best way to find new avenues of ministry is to be faithful in the ones you currently have!  

 

Let me offer you some strength:

As we look at today's post, I can't help but be reminded that there is no greater gift than salvation!  You and I live in a generation where we have seen the fulfillment of this incredible prophesy of Zechariah.  How amazing is that?! 

When we consider all that Jesus did in becoming both our High Priest and King, how can we not rejoice and be glad, regardless of what else we are facing?

Psalm 35:9 - And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.

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Zechariah 6:1 – Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four chariots came out from between two mountains.  And the mountains were mountains of bronze.

Now we come to the eighth, and final, vision of Zechariah.  The vision begins with the prophet seeing four chariots which are moving through the midst of two mountains made of bronze.  The text implies that these are war chariots.

There are four main interpretations of this vision.  We will briefly introduce three, without fully investigating them. 

• Interpretation #1 asserts that the four chariots represent the four Gospels of the New Testament. The apostles and other leaders are sent by God to accomplish his will and facilitate the spread of the gospel.

• Interpretation #2 asserts that the four chariots represent changes in the world order brought about by war among the nations. In this theory, the colors of the horses represent the various changes.

• Interpretation #3 asserts that the four chariots represent the four great empires which subdued the known world. These would be the same four nations (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome) who were depicted in the earlier vision of the horns.

Self-study resources are readily available to anyone who wants to learn more about these theories.  All of them, to some degree, point to a truth revealed in this vision.

However, in our study, we will take the view that the four chariots represent messengers of God, who are standing by to carry out his will and enforce his decrees.

This enforcement may entail ministering/assisting God's people or executing God's judgments upon sinners throughout the world.  These messengers could be people, nations, angels, or other spiritual beings we are not familiar with.

It was standard for prophetic words of the Old Testament to predict a specific set of facts or events which God would eventually bring to pass. 

For instance, we know that the prophet Isaiah predicted that a virgin would conceive and bear a son whose name would be Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14). This was a prophetic word in which the predicted events occurred exactly as foretold.

But the eighth prophetic vision of Zechariah is a bit different. It gives us an example of what is sometimes referred to as the 'continuous fulfillment of prophesy'.  This term is used when the prophetic word gives us a revelation of a divine principle of God and his kingdom, rather than a specific set of facts which will have a future fulfillment.

Because this type of prophetic word reveals a kingdom principle, it will show up or come to pass time after time after time, in any (or all) generations. 

In this case, the divine principle centers on the timely punishment of the enemies of God's people (both the Jews and the church).  We can see this divine principle in effect throughout Old Testament history.

This principle was evident in Zechariah's day in the destruction of Babylon, the nation who had taken the Jews into captivity.  But the principle of God's destruction of those who oppose his people was also evident with the overthrow of Edom, Midian, Egypt, Greece, Rome, and many others. 

This divine principle is still in operation today.  If we are able to watch long enough, we will eventually see the judgment/destruction of Israel's (and the church's) current enemies.  In fact, because this is a kingdom principle, we would expect to see fulfillments of it until the end of this age.  The final fulfillment will occur when Satan and his minions are finally cast into the lake of fire.

One final note:  Many scholars see an added dimension to this prophesy.  They point out that the seventh vision centered on God's disciple of his own people, which was immediately followed by a vision of the judgment/destruction of her enemies.  For this reason, they believe that the kingdom principle involves discipline of God's people first, which is then followed by the judgment of her enemies (who often carried out that discipline).  

With this in mind, let's dig into the specifics of this amazing vision!

Mountains of bronze - What can we determine about the mountains?  The prophet specifically mentions that they are not normal mountains made of rock.  In his vision, they are made of brass.

This signifies that they are insurmountable, immovable, and unchanging.  They represent God's plans, purposes, and decrees which rest upon his infallible wisdom and are supported by his limitless power.  The kingdoms of man cannot change, void, stop, or subvert them.  If God decrees it, it will come to pass!

We also find that the chariots are closed in on either side by the mountains. The mountains (God's purposes) act as natural barriers, restricting the chariots and determining where they can (and cannot) go, and how fast (or slow) they can travel. Thus, we see that God's decrees/plans restrict or limit what happens in the world.

For example, God decreed that Israel would go into captivity for a period of 70 years. He then sent the nation of Babylon out to fulfill his will. The Babylonians would have been more than happy to completely wipe Israel off the map forever, but God's decrees restricted their bloodthirsty desires, so that they were unable to completely annihilate the Jews.

God also controls the timing of all his plans, which unfold under his watchful eye at the exact moment he intends.  This means that Israel did not go into bondage any sooner than necessary and she could not be held by her enemies any longer than God ordained.  This happens despite the desires of Israel's enemy (just ask the Egyptians).

We also know that due to the shape, size, and position of normal mountains, they often obscure the contents of the valleys that lie between them.  In the same way, God's plans may not be immediately visible (perceived) by those who will be affected by them.  However, we can rest assured that God is in control of the situation, even if we don't understand exactly how he will accomplish his purposes.   

Again, we can point to evidence from the captivity.  When Israel was on the verge of fulfilling her 70-year sentence, her leaders did not see any possible way to return to Jerusalem and reestablish the temple.  But God made it happen.  Instead of liberating them through military means, he simply touched the heart of Cyrus, who commissioned the Jews to go to Jerusalem and build a temple for Jehovah.  

Now, here is something to consider - we know that God never changes:

Malachi 3:6 - "For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, the children of Jacob, are not consumed."

Since that is the case, the bronze mountains of God's laws and decrees are still in effect today.  The church may be surrounded by enemies of the cross, but their evil desires are being limited or held in check by the power of God.  Whether they know it or not, all of their schemes are filtered through God first; they can only do what God gives them permission to do.  

Let's not forget that God's messengers are not limited to judgment.  They also respond to God's decrees of help and assistance for his people.

Hebrews 1:14 – Are they [angels] not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to them who shall be heirs of salvation?

In addition to this supernatural help, we can take comfort in knowing that we are not alone. Like the prophet Elisha, God has surrounded us with his angels and messengers, who will bring his will to pass on our behalf as we partner with him.

II Kings 6:16-17 – He [Elisha) said, "Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."  Then Elisha prayed and said, "O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see."  So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

For our part, let's not waste time and energy worrying about the schemes of our enemy.  If we need assistance, God will send one of his messengers to help us.  This allows us to focus on trusting in God, building up our faith and fighting for the kingdom of heaven until every last soul has been won for Christ!

Zechariah 6:2-3 – The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses, the third white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled horses – all of them strong.

Now let's take a closer look at the chariots.  The text implies that these are war chariots which are obviously under the control of drivers.  Again, they represent messengers of God who ride swiftly through the world to execute his commands.  Sometimes they are executing judgment and sometimes they are ministering to the saints of God.

Most scholars attach significance to the color of the horses which pull the war chariots. The colors are believed to reflect the character or purpose of the chariot and thus the command/decree they enforce.

Red – One chariot has horses of a red color reflecting God's fiery wrath and vengeance on the wicked.  Red is associated with bloodshed and war (Isaiah 63:2, Revelation 6:4).

Black – There is a chariot pulled by black horses.  Black normally represents sorrow, calamity, and mourning (Jeremiah 4:28), as well as famine and/or dearness (dearness denotes anything that is scarce, hard to get or excessive in price - Revelation 6:5-6).  Black can also indicate disease, pestilence, and/or plagues. 

Bay or Dappled – There is also a chariot pulled with Bay horses.  The word 'Bay' has also been translated as dappled, speckled or piebald referring to a combination of colors.  It therefore represents a mixture of good and bad events such as prosperity and adversity, sickness and health, joy and sorrow, etc. 

Together, these three chariots symbolize the three great judgments of God – war, hunger and pestilence (II Samuel 24:11-13).

White – There is also a chariot pulled by white horses.  White is generally associated with joyful and prosperous times.  In this case, it may also point to the glorious victories of the ministers of the divine judgment/assistance.

Having given this explanation, I would like to point out that there are other bible commentators who believe that the colors of the horses do not provide an identification of their assignments or characteristics.  This view says that the horses are given different colors merely to make the vision more distinct or easy to understand. 

They also point out that while the colors of the horses in the book of Revelation do have specific meanings, there is nothing to suggest those distinctions should be used in the vision of Zechariah. 

In either case, we are told the horses are strong and swift. We expect them to be strong because they are empowered by the Spirit of God. We expect them to be swift, because when God gives an order, it must be obeyed immediately.

It is interesting to note that on an individual basis, God uses all of these 'horses' to draw people to Christ.  Some may find him in the midst of fear during a war, while others may be drawn to him through the peacefulness of nature.  Some sinners are drawn to God because of lack, while others seek him after discovering the emptiness of riches, etc.  God can and will use any situation to draw sinners to himself.  

Zechariah 6:4-5 – Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?"  And the angel answered and said to me, "These are going out to the four winds of heaven, after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth."

 

As we saw in the other visions, Zechariah does not immediately understand the significance of what he sees.  So once again, he asks the assisting angel for clarification.

And once again (I can't stress this enough), God reveals this mystery to the prophet because he humbly asks to receive wisdom and instruction.

Before the Lord –The spirits of destruction and deliverance stand in the presence of God awaiting his instructions; they do not move or take action without his permission. This confirms what we already know – God is Master of the earth and everything in it; he is supreme over all.

His messengers will find their way to every single point on the globe.  None are excluded because God's providence extends over every square inch of his creation.  Nothing is outside of his control.  His commands, decrees and purposes will certainly come to pass:

Isaiah 46:9-11 – "Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purposes,' calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country.  I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it."

This truth does not stop the enemy from whispering lies into our hearts and minds. He will tell us that God is 'asleep at the wheel' or that he is idly sitting on this throne unaware of our circumstances and difficulties.  He tries to convince us that God is ignoring us, or that he is not actively doing anything on our behalf.  This is a pack of lies from the pit of hell! 

When the devil whispers these thoughts in your mind, fight back with your spiritual sword: the word of God! Remind the devil of the eighth prophesy of Zechariah. Remind him that God never slumbers or sleeps (Psalms 121:1-8); he is always watching over us and he moves on our behalf at the exact moment when it will benefit us most.

Four winds of heaven –The four winds of heaven are obviously symbolic, because the literal winds of the earth do not stand before God as his servants ready to carry out his will.

Some translations use the word 'spirits' instead, which is closer to the true meaning.  The winds represent all the powers and/or agencies by which the earth can be affected (I Kings 22:19-22, Job 2:1-7, Luke 1:19, etc).

In the case of ancient Israel, we might say that the 'four winds' refer to various world powers (like Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and Persia) because these nations carried out the will of God on earth as it related to the kingdom of Israel. 

These nations were empowered by God, yet they were also limited so that they could do nothing over and above what God had determined against his people.  These nations did not receive permission (the ability) to do God's bidding until he released them to go. 

Then, after fulfilling their purpose, each of these nations was given a chance to repent and seek the Lord before being judged by him.  (Again we see the cycle of God disciplining his people in order to get them back on the right path and subsequently punishing those who make themselves the enemies of his people.)

Now don't forget, God's messengers are not just agents of judgment.  They also assist God's people when needed.

For instance, after the resurrection of Jesus, King Herod had the apostle James martyred.  When he saw it pleased the Jews, he also arrested Peter and put him in prison, intending to kill him after Passover. 

But God had other plans for Peter! He sent one of his messengers to rescue/release him from prison:

Acts 12:7 - And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he struck Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.

(You can read the whole account in Acts chapter 12).  Some scholars believe that the apostles of Christ (and other ministers of the gospel) stood before the throne of God before the foundation of the world and came forth to minister on the earth during their appointed time. 

God empowered them with gifts, courage, experiences, grace and most importantly his Holy Spirit, which enabled them to perform the work that he commissioned them to complete.  He sends them to every part of the world to minister to all men as he sees fit.

Angels are also ministers of divine providence who are routinely used in the management of the affairs of the church. 

Zechariah 6:6 – "The chariot with the black horses goes toward the north country, the white ones go after them, and the dappled ones go toward the south country."

 

North country/South country - Here we begin to see the decrees of God being sent throughout the earth to accomplish his purposes.  We are told that some horses move toward the 'north country' while others are commanded to go toward the 'south country'.  What can we determine from this? 

As we know, Jerusalem is the home of the Jews and the birthplace of the church.  From God's point of view, it is the center of the world.  This is the point of reference from which God arranges and carries out the history of the world. 

Therefore, when chariots are sent toward the 'north country' this refers to places north of Jerusalem.  When God sends his decrees to the 'south country', it refers to places and kingdoms that are south of Jerusalem.  

Black horses – During the time of Zechariah, the immediate target of the black horses was probably the nation of Babylon.

At the end of the captivity, most of the Jews chose to remain in the luxury of Babylon (the world), rather than enduring the hardships associated with returning to Jerusalem and working to reestablish the temple (fellowship with God).  These Jews were warned in the third vision of Zechariah (2:7) to flee that nation, because judgment was decreed for it.

If this was the case, then historically speaking the black horses and chariot symbolize the Medo-Persians, who destroyed Babylon:

Isaiah 13:17-19 - Behold I [God] will stir up the Medes against them [Babylon], which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.  Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children.  And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

White horses – White horses were also dispatched to the north.  Bible scholars see this as the Greek empire, led by Alexander, which was benevolent towards the Jews. 

Dappled horses–Finally, the dappled horses are identified as the Roman Empire because their treatment of the Jews was both good and bad. 

Scholars are in general agreement about the identity of these nations, however, their identities are not the main point of this vision.

We must once again remind ourselves that we are being presented with a divine principle - the four chariots represent messengers of God (who could be people, nations, angels, etc), who stand by to do his will whether that be ministering to God's people or executing his judgments upon sinners throughout the world.  

This is an unchanging principle; God continues to minister to his people and bring judgment on her enemies through his messengers even in this generation.   

We would expect to find this continuing until the very end of this age and indeed the book of Revelation (with the seven seals and bowls of judgment) again shows that God rules the events of this world by bringing about judgment in his time, and according to his will.  

Zechariah 6:7 – When the strong horses came out, they were impatient to go and patrol the earth.  And he said, "Go, patrol the earth."  So they patrolled the earth.

Two items of significance are seen in this verse. 

First, God's agents were impatient to get on with the work assigned to them, but they could not move so much as a single inch or footstep until God permitted it. But once he does, they move immediately and swiftly to do their work.

We have touched on this idea before but let me just reiterate it once more – if you feel that God has called you to minister in any capacity whatsoever, don't hesitate. Step out and begin to do what God has asked. As you do, you (and those around you) will be blessed.

God equipped the horses and chariots for the tasks set before them.  Likewise, he will equip and empower you for the work assigned to you.  So get up and get going!

Two, the horses are granted permission to patrol or move throughout the whole earth.  This shows that the meaning of this vision is not limited to the times of ancient Israel. 

Once God's agents were given a 'green light', they immediately began to fulfill their mission of countering the plans of Satan who 'goes to and fro in the earth' (Job 1:7, II Thessalonians 2:8-9, I Timothy 4:1) seeking to destroy God's people.  Their mission will continue unabated until the second coming of Christ, when the revived Roman Empire and final kingdom of the antichrist will be judged. 

Zechariah 6:8 – Then he cried unto me, "Behold, those who go toward the north country have set my Spirit at rest in the north country."

Two interpretations are given for this verse.   

According to verse 7, those who went to the north country were sent to destroy Babylon.

The first theory says that because God's messengers had fulfilled his judgment against that nation, his wrath was appeased and his Spirit was at rest.  This is the most common interpretation of the verse.

But there is another explanation as well.  The second theory says that 'set my Spirit at rest' should be translated as 'have made my anger to rest'. 

Those who hold this view believe that God's wrath was deposited in the land of the north (Babylon) which refers to the world or unbelievers.  They believe the meaning of the verse is that the wrath or anger of God rests upon the wicked.  This is confirmed by the apostle John in his gospel:

John 3:36 - He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.  

Summary:  The eighth vision of Zechariah teaches us that God has universal control and supremacy over all of creation. He has agents or messengers in his presence right now, standing by to carry out his will and enforce his decrees. This enforcement may entail assisting/ministering to his servants or executing his judgment upon sinners.

While these agents are empowered by God, they are also restrained and limited by his decrees; he determines where they can go, what they can do and how fast they can travel.

Furthermore, this vision is an example of the 'continuous fulfillment of prophesy'.  In other words, it reveals a principle of God's kingdom that is at work all the time; we will find multiple fulfillments of it until this age is over. 

That principle is this:  At an appropriate time, God will subdue or destroy the enemies of his people.  Many commentators believe that the judgment of Israel's enemies is preceded by God's discipline of his own people.      

In light of this knowledge, the Jews of Zechariah's day could rejoice – God was well aware of the difficulties they faced in rebuilding the temple and the walls of Jerusalem. 

Although God was going to judge the nations who oppressed them, it was up to God where, when and how that judgment would occur.  As for their part, they needed to repent of the sin which had crept into their own lives (details in vision #7).  

What message does this vision contain for the church of today?

As the church looks around and sees her enemies fiercely roaring on all sides, she has no reason to worry; God is the supreme ruler of all creation.  He has not left us powerless or helpless in the fight against the kingdom of darkness. 

 We cannot help but be reminded that God has given us the keys to his kingdom:

Matthew 16:19 – I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

We also know that even a tiny amount of faith can remove an entire mountain of the enemy:

Matthew 17:20 – He [Jesus] said to them, "If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to here,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you."

Plus, we have the full armor of God which includes both offensive and defensive components (Ephesians 6).

And if we still need additional assistance, God has agents/messengers standing in his presence right now, who will come to our aid when he releases them. 

We can rejoice knowing that the church is guaranteed victory through Jesus Christ our Lord and at the end of this age, we will witness the judgment of our enemies.

Let me offer you some encouragement, relief and strength:

We live in a culture of 24-hour access to everything – food, entertainment, medical services and even work.  This includes around-the-clock access to worldly news sources which continuously focus on how bad things are getting in our nation and in the world. 

It's perfectly clear that the enemy is at work stirring up protests, inciting war, attacking the economy, opening the floodgates of our borders and generally attempting to obliterate the kingdom of heaven on earth.  But there is another side to the story, which you won't find on the news – God is in control. 

He is the supreme administrator of the universe.  He has set limits upon the power and authority of Satan, his followers, and the activities of nature.  They do not have free reign; the mountains of God's infallible wisdom and power funnel them in such a way that they do his bidding/perform his will.

In addition, God uses his heavenly messengers (angels) to assist his people in the war with Satan.

Therefore, victory for the kingdom of heaven is assured. Hallelujah!

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Zechariah 5:5 – Then the angel who talked with me came forward and said to me, "Lift your eyes and see what this is that is going out."

We now come to the seventh vision of Zechariah, which is the least understood of the eight visions.  Many elements of this vision are interpreted differently by different scholars.  Although we cannot fully understand it at this point in time, we can still glean many benefits from studying it.  Plus, considering alternative viewpoints will give us all food for thought. 

As you recall from our last post, Zechariah had just witnessed a vision of judgment – a scroll swiftly coming upon the households of those who had been unfaithful to the commands of God. It was no doubt a sobering or even frightening message.

This was immediately followed by a seventh vision, which Zechariah seems reluctant to face.  He may have been hesitant to look at it fearing that it would contain further judgment.  Or, he may have simply been overwhelmed at the sheer volume of information God was pouring into him.  In either case, the assisting angel had to draw his attention to the seventh vision.

Zechariah 5:6 – And I said, "What is it?"  He said, "This is the basket that is going out." And he said, "This is their iniquity in all the land."

The basket – We are using the English Standard version of the bible.  As you can see, it says, 'This is the basket that is going out'. 

However, in this case the King James Version of the bible is more helpful.  It says, 'This is an ephah that goes forth'.

An ephah was a unit of measure for dry goods which was normally used for agricultural products.  It is roughly equivalent to what Americans know as a bushel.  However, the point here is not the actual volume/capacity of the container, but the fact that something is being measured.

In fact, this is one of the main focal points of the vision – the 'basket' is actually a container which God is using to measure something.  This leads to an obvious question - What is being measured in this vision?

This is their iniquity in all the land – The assisting angel makes it plain that the item being measured in the ephah/basket is iniquity.

Let's stop and define the term 'iniquity'.  Iniquity (also translated as wickedness or lawlessness in some versions) refers to that which is unjust, wrong, wicked, turbulent/unsettled/chaotic, or sinful; it encompasses everything contrary to the will and command of God.  We often use the terms 'sin' and 'iniquity' interchangeably.

We know that the last vision (the flying scroll) dealt with iniquity on an individual basis.  Now we know that the current vision deals with iniquity 'in all the land' or the iniquity of an entire nation. 

 

This brings up a sobering question.  Does God judge/punish entire nations because of sin? 

Answer:Yes, he does! There can be no doubt that God exhibits love towards mankind, patiently waiting for transgressors to come to repentance (II Peter 3:9). However, if the people of a nation consistently persevere in sin with no sign of repentance, they will eventually come to the point where God will mete out punishment or judgment on the entire nation.

For example, back in the very early days of Israel (before Abraham even had a son), God promised that Israel would own the land which was currently occupied by the Amorites.  Although they were a sinful nation, God was reluctant to punish them.  He gave them time and opportunity to repent before bringing judgment upon them and removing them from the land:

Genesis 15:16 – And they [Abraham's descendants] shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.

We find the same concept in the New Testament when Jesus speaks to the religious leaders of that day:

Matthew 23:29-30, 32 – "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'  Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers."

(See also I Thessalonians 2:16, Daniel 8:23).  These cases (and others in scripture) provide clear evidence that God has a divinely determined measure of iniquity which must be full before he takes action to judge or punish a nation.  The measure is likely different for each nation or kingdom, depending on their level of understanding regarding God's commands.  In each instance, God's great mercy and love are evident when he allows time for repentance.

At this point, we know that there is a basket/ephah which is being used to measure something. We also know the item being measured is the sin of a nation or kingdom.

The next logical question is this:  Whose iniquity is being measured – Israel, her enemies, or the iniquity of some other nation/kingdom?

Let's first consider the case of Israel.

Israel certainly produced her share of iniquity.  In fact, she had already filled up her own measure of sin at least once.  We know this because after repeated warnings against idolatry and time for repentance, God judged/punished the nation of Israel by sending her into captivity in Babylon. 

Many scholars believe she was well on her way to filling it again during the time of Zechariah. In support of this view, they point to the cumulative sins of theft and perjury mentioned in the last vision.

We can also point to Israel filling her measure of iniquity at the time of the incarnation, when the Jews firmly and vehemently rejected Jesus as the Messiah.  They persisted in their unbelief even after irrefutable evidence that Jesus had risen from the dead.  And despite the astonishing formation/growth of the church, the miracles of the apostles, and the words of the prophets, they still refused to believe Jesus was the Messiah.

Apparently the measure of their iniquity was finally full in AD 70, and thus judgment arrived.  The city of Jerusalem was razed, the temple (and all its rites) was destroyed, and the Jews were disbursed among other nations.

Many bible scholars believe that present-day Israel is busy filling up yet another measure.  They predict it will be full at the end of the age, during the reign of the antichrist. 

This view asserts that from the time of Christ until now, the Jewish nation has continued to reject Jesus as Messiah and they have completely turned away from honoring the covenant.  Therefore, at the end of the age (during the tribulation), their measure of iniquity will once again be full. 

As a result, Israel will again be persecuted when the Roman Empire is revived. Those who hold this view believe these judgments are predicted in scripture (Daniel chapter 8 and throughout Revelation).

Conclusion: We cannot deny that the nation of Israel has filled up her own measure of iniquity more than once. But assigning the sins in the basket of this vision to her, presents us with some difficulties.

For instance, as we will soon see, the measure of sin in this vision is taken to another place where it will dwell permanently.  This is a problem because there is no place in scripture where the sins of God's people are ever 'taken elsewhere' to be shielded and preserved.  Either the nation suffers appropriate judgment for them, or they are atoned for and/or blotted out through sacrifice. 

For this reason (and others we will shortly discover), it does not seem possible that the iniquity in the basket that Zechariah sees could belong to God's people.

Having said that, it should be noted that there are differing opinions.  There are some commentators who DO believe that the sins in the measure belong to Israel and the vision looks to the future time of the Messiah.  This is a view that you can investigate further on your own, if you wish.

Now let's consider the case of the enemies of the Jews (heathen nations).

Israel has encountered many enemies in the course of her existence.  But if we think about this logically, it makes no sense for the sins of any specific heathen nation to be present in the vision of Zechariah. 

This vision is a message to God's people, not a warning of repentance to the heathen.  In fact, the heathen of that day probably never learned of this vision.  What good would it do for God to reveal the sin of another nation to the children of Israel?  Truthfully, that wouldn't help either nation.  If God wanted to send a warning to one of the heathen nations, he would communicate with them directly. 

With this in mind, it seems very unlikely that the iniquity in this vision refers to a specific heathen nation. (However, I must once again point out that some people disagree.)

Thus far, we have not discovered the identity of the nation or kingdom whose iniquity is being measured, so let's continue with our study and see what else we can uncover.

Zechariah 5:7 – And behold, the leaden cover was lifted, and there was a woman sitting in the basket!

The assisting angel has already revealed that the basket represents a measure of iniquity.  As Zechariah looked, the cover of the basket was raised so he could look inside.  I'm not sure what he expected to see, but it obviously wasn't a woman!

Woman – The woman is the personification of iniquity, wickedness, and sin.  Why would this be the case?

Those who believe that Israel's sin is in the basket point to the fact that throughout the Old Testament, it is very common to find backsliding Israel represented as a faithless and adulterous woman (Jeremiah 3:6, Hosea 9:1, etc). 

On the other hand, even sinful nations/kingdoms are pictured in scripture as being female:

Revelation 17:6 – And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

Others believe sin takes the form of a woman because Eve was the first to transgress the laws of God.  Some even suggest that sin is presented as a woman because women are flattering and beguiling – they often entice men into sin where they are subsequently trapped!

All we can say for sure is that in this specific vision, sin and iniquity are personified as a woman.

Sitting in the basket – Sitting is normally considered a position of rest or tranquility.  The implication here is that the nation/kingdom in the basket sits shamelessly in the measure of their sin. 

In fact, they openly and proudly declare their sin like the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah.  They revel in it with great pleasure and delight, without any regard for their own future eternal state.  (Hmm... Do you see any parallels here to modern day nations like Russia, America or even the people who consider themselves Palestinians?)

Nevertheless, whether they know it or not, these nations/kingdoms sit in a 'measure', which has been predetermined by God.  This means there are limits and/or boundaries to the spread of their iniquity and power because they cannot surpass the limits set by God.  When he deems it appropriate, he will bring judgment against them. 

Cover made of lead – There is a heavy lid which traps the woman in the basket. This suggests the image of a manhole cover, which firmly keeps a lid on the access tunnels which run under public streets.

The lid in the vision is made of lead, which is one of the heaviest metals.  This is symbolic of the weight of judgment or punishment for sin, which is by nature heavy:

Psalms 38:4 – For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.

Interestingly, this heavy lid is a picture of comfort for the righteous.  From our perspective, it may seem as though iniquity has no bounds; it freely spreads and extends throughout the earth.  But the basket and its lid show that this is not the case. 

All iniquity is enclosed and restrained in God's measure and the lid of his judgment ensures there is no escape except through repentance. 

This was a great comfort to the Jews in Zechariah's day, for it showed that God was in control.  He was watching over his people, and he would bring them to victory, despite the attacks and oppression of their enemies:

II Chronicles 16:9 – For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.

This is also a great comfort to the church of today.  Though our enemies are fierce and relentless, they still sit in the measure of God.  His protective eyes are upon the church, and he will both restrain and judge evil at the appointed time.

Zechariah 5:8 – And he said, "This is Wickedness."  And he thrust her back into the basket, and thrust down the leaden weight on its opening.

Once again, we are clearly shown that evil/wickedness does not exist unchecked. It does not have free reign in the world. It is kept within certain bounds by God. He alone determines those boundaries, and he alone will deal with the wicked at the time and place of his choosing.

Psalms 104:35 – Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more!  Bless the Lord, O my soul!  Praise the Lord!

Thus we see that the weight of God's judgment, which the wicked can never lift or remove, shuts the woman up as in a prison to suffer the punishment of all her sins.

When God says something, we know it is important.  When he stresses it more than once, it would be best for us to pay close attention!  In this case, we find a recurring theme in this vision – iniquity does not have free reign.  It cannot flow outside the boundaries that God has set in place.  What a comforting thought!   

Zechariah 5:9 – Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, two women coming forward!  The wind was in their wings.  They had wings like the wings of a stork and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven.

Two women – There seems to be an infinite number of explanations as to the identity of the two women! 

Here are some examples:

• The two women represent Assyria and Babylon, who took Israel and Judah into captivity.
• The women should be seen as Ezra and Nehemiah, who helped Israel cast evil from her midst.
• The two women are symbolic of Gods power and justice, which removes sin.
• The two represent the last two wicked kings of Israel/Judah whose actions ultimately led to judgment.
• They are evil spirits who propagate wickedness throughout the world.
• The two women represent two sinful nations, similar to the woman in the basket.  The thought is that women bear away the woman signifying that iniquity eventually brings about its own destruction.

And of course, some scholars believe that the two women don't symbolize anything at all - they are just a necessary part of the vision because of the basket.

Wings of a stork – Scripture tells us that the stork was an unclean bird (Leviticus 11:19), however, there is probably no real significance to the stork.  It was simply a common and easily recognized bird in that area.  It also fits the vision well because it is a migratory bird which has powerful wings and can fly rapidly. 

Wind in their wings – Here we have a single point of agreement (yay!).  Wings and wind are commonly associated with swiftness.  During or after the time of Zechariah, wickedness was swiftly moved or gathered to an appointed place.

Lifted up the basket between heaven and earth –The meaning here is similar to what we encountered in the vision of the flying scroll. The unfurled scroll was flying through the air to show that God's commands were not secret; they had been clearly outlined long before judgment came.

Likewise, the basket or measure of iniquity was flown through the air by the two women to show that the sins of this nation/kingdom were not secret. 

As we already mentioned, this nation/kingdom flaunted their sin because they were proud of it.  Because their iniquity was public, their judgment will be public also. 

Zechariah 5:10-11 – Then I said to the angel who talked with me, "Where are they taking the basket?"  He said to me, "To the land of Shinar, to build a house for it.  And when this is prepared, they will set the basket down there on its base."

Shinar – This is not the first time that Shinar has been mentioned in scripture.  Genesis 10 tells us that Nimrod built cities in the land of Shinar.  This was the eventual location of the Tower of Babel, where man first erected a tower in an effort to establish a world-empire against God.  It was here that God changed the common tongue of man into many languages and caused people to be scattered throughout the world.  This thwarted their plans for a world-wide kingdom.

Later on, Shinar will be the site of the city and kingdom of Babylon, where Israel spent 70 years in captivity.  Babylon was famous for using false reasoning to profane God in art, literature, music, and philosophy.

It's important to know that in scripture, Babylon becomes the symbol of any world-empire which operates in direct rebellion against God.  The empire may include business/economic entities, false religions, and/or government authority.

Build a house for it/set it down on its base - The building of a house and the establishment of a lasting base for the basket indicates that the woman (who represents iniquity) was taken or gathered to a permanent dwelling place where she would be protected and preserved.

Summary – There is by no means a universal understanding of this vision of Zechariah.  Many interpretations have been given (some definitely better than others) and you are free to believe whichever one seems best to you.  However, I want to present the following summary because it aligns very closely with the rest of scripture. 

In this vision, Zechariah sees a woman sitting in a basket, which is flown through the air and delivered to a permanent dwelling in Babylon, which is the symbol of any world-empire that operates in direct rebellion against God. 

The basket contains iniquity. It is not the iniquity of any single specific nation; it is the iniquity of all those who love evil. The roots of rebellion against God grow and multiply in the midst of this iniquity.

Back in the days of Zechariah (or soon after that) these roots of iniquity were moved to a permanent place. In other words, they were gathered under a single head or authority which would control, guide, and nurture them throughout the ages. Under this mantle of authority, they began to grow and intertwine, forming kingdoms of evil and oppression and/or taking control of existing kingdoms and causing them to rebel against God.

The eventual outcome of this will be a single world-wide kingdom or empire which will be all encompassing - it will include economic components, false religious components, and government authority.  It will be fully dedicated to eradicating God and all those who follow him. 

This world-wide kingdom is revealed in the books of Daniel and Revelation as the revived Roman Empire.  It will be operated by Satan through his antichrist and false prophet. 

The kingdom of iniquity will attempt to challenge the kingdom of heaven, which was established on earth by the death and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah (The Branch).

Matthew 4:17 – From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.    

Through the sacrifice of Christ, Jews and Gentiles were blended into a single family of God also called the body of Christ or the church.  Jesus is the head or authority over the church. 

Colossians 1:18 – And he [Jesus] is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

 

Jesus nurtures, leads, protects and guides the church. Under his mantle of authority, the kingdom of heaven will continue to grow and thrive as the gospel message saves lost sinners, freeing them from the bondage of Satan.

Thus, we see a clear picture of the two kingdoms present on earth:

There is the losing side, led by Satan.  He thinks he is powerful enough to sit on God's throne, but that idea just makes God laugh, because Satan is nothing more than a created being (made by God) who has very limited power, authority and understanding.

His capacity for evil and iniquity only exists within a 'measure', which has been predetermined by God.  And at some point, God is going to close the lid of judgment upon him and his kingdom.  He (and sadly his followers) will be sent to a place of eternal punishment.

Then there is the winning side, led by the Great Trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Our God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-sufficient. He is the Alpha and the Omega.He is the God who knows the end from the beginning.

The earth is his footstool, and he holds the seas in the palm of his hand. He is the author and sustainer of all life. He created the vastness of space and he names each star. He is the fountain head of every good and perfect gift. He is life, love, joy, abundance, light, and peace.

And, just so you know, He is completely and utterly victorious in every situation. He has NEVER lost a battle and he certainly isn't going to lose the fight for humanity to a worm like the devil!

In the end, this vision was a word of comfort to the Jews of Zechariah's day. Evil was present, and it was opposing the Jews, but God placed strict limits upon it. For their part, the Jews were to repent and rid themselves of iniquity (as revealed in the vision of the scroll). As they continued to trust in the Lord, he would watch over them and bring them to ultimate victory.

Whether they realized it or not, God was giving his people a glimpse of the roots and formation of the kingdom of darkness.  This kingdom of iniquity intends to wage war upon the kingdom of heaven and the people of God.  Although many skirmishes have already occurred, the final showdown will take place at the end of this age.

The final battle will result in God easily defeating this contemptible, paltry foe. There is no reason for God's people to fear, for God is always victorious.

Let me offer you some encouragement and some relief:

If you have trouble fully understanding the seventh vision of Zechariah, you are not alone!

Whenever we come to a passage of scripture that we don't understand (which can be frequently), we have a choice to make. One option is to simply walk away and remain ignorant of what God wants to reveal to us.

The other option is to dig into the Word and see what we can find.  You can do this by cross referencing other scriptures, by consulting online studies, by studying commentaries, by examining the meaning of root words, etc. 

There was a time when these resources were only available to a select few, but that is no longer the case.  Free resources abound online.  Other sources can be purchased for much less than you might think.  Teaching about every portion of scripture can be found on TV, radio, printed material and even pod casts. 

You don't need to be a pastor or scholar to gain a better understanding of the Word.  All you need are a few resources, a hunger for knowledge, and the help of Holy Spirit, who is standing by to reveal the word to you (John 14:26, I Corinthians 2:11-16). 

Let me offer you some strength:

Although we don't fully understand every aspect of the vision in today's post, one thing is absolutely certain:  God is in control. 

I know that from our limited, earthly perspective this doesn't always appear to be the case. Sometimes it seems that evil and wickedness are expanding at such a rate they will soon swallow up the whole world.

But the vision assures us that this is not true (and honestly, we knew that already, because our God is all-powerful).

When you come head-to-head with iniquity, remind yourself that it sits in a measure.  God's divine power and wisdom have limited it. This is also a good time to remind yourself that God has given you spiritual weapons with which to fight that iniquity.

Let me just remind you that your mission is not to wipe out the person who is full of iniquity – your mission is to rescue them from the kingdom of darkness and help them find the kingdom of God.  In the end, it will be Jesus who finally vanquishes/destroys evil forever.

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Zechariah 5:1 – Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold a flying scroll!

The sixth vision of Zechariah is very short – only four somewhat cryptic verses.  However, those four verses contain a lot of wisdom and knowledge.  It is up to us to dig up and sift this portion of scripture like a miner searching for gold.  When we do, we will be rewarded with spiritual wealth!  

Let's start with this question:  What did the first five visions of Zechariah have in common?  How were they alike?

Answer:  They were all messages of comfort, victory, prosperity, forgiveness and peace.  In each of the first five visions, God was revealing how much he loved his people.  He gave them glimpses of all the wonderful, astonishing, miraculous things he had in store for them. 

But God is not all sugar and spice and everything nice.  He requires obedience to his commands.  Since the Jews were entrenched in sin, disobedience, and unbelief, God needed to correct their course. 

As we study the last three visions, we find that the tone, character and message of the visions change. The last three still present promises of hope and victory, but they also involve elements of judgment.

As we will see, judgment precedes Israel's restoration and is very prominently connected with it.

We should not be surprised by this.  As we have noted many, many times in this blog, God is faithful to his promises.  When he promises to do good for his people, he keeps his promise.  When he promises to correct his people for their sin or bring judgment on those who rebel, he keeps those promises as well.

The purpose of these actions is not to destroy God's people; it is to correct their course and bring them back into a right relationship with him.

With that in mind, let's dig into this vision.

Zechariah 5:2 – And he said to me, "What do you see?"  I answered, "I see a flying scroll.  Its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits." 

Zechariah 5:3 – Then he said to me, "This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land.  For everyone who steals shall be cleaned out according to what is on one side, and everyone who swears falsely shall be cleaned out according to what is on the other side.

A flying scroll - At some point after Zechariah's vision of the lamp stand, he again 'lifts up his eyes' meaning that he is presented with a sixth vision.  This time, he sees a scroll. 

A scroll is simply a book which was written on parchment or papyrus (or possibly even an animal skin) and rolled up in the form of a cylinder. They are sometimes referred to as volumes or rolls. This was the usual form for books before modern day book binding was developed.

We know that the scroll in the vision is unrolled or unwound to its full extent. 

This is obvious because otherwise the prophet could not determine its measurements.  Zechariah describes the scroll as being 20 cubits long and 10 cubits wide.  Since a cubit is approximately 18 inches, the scroll is 30 feet long and 15 feet wide. 

There is another reason to assume the scroll is unwound – you can see that it has writing on both the front and the back.

But before Zechariah can read the scroll the assisting angel reveals its contents:

This is the curse– The assisting angel tells Zechariah that the scroll contains a curse, which is a judgment or a solemn declaration of chastisement against sin and disobedience (Deuteronomy 27:26, Jeremiah 11:3-4, Galatians 3:10).

Interestingly, this is not the only 'scroll of judgment' that we find in scripture.

The scroll in Zechariah's vision is remarkably similar to the scroll which was shown to the prophet Ezekiel.  It too had writing on both sides and contained a promise/warning of judgment for the exiled Jews:

Ezekiel 2:9-10 - And when I looked, behold, a hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a scroll of a book was in it; and he spread it before me; and it was written inside and outside: and there was written in it lamentations, and mourning, and woe.

The apostle John also speaks of yet another scroll of judgment in the book of Revelation:

Revelation 10:10 -And I took the little scroll out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my stomach was bitter. 

In the case of John's vision, the judgment is still in the future.  It will be poured out upon all those who are in rebellion to the known commands of God.  We will discuss this later in the post. 

As for the Jews of Zechariah's day, the promise of judgment was not something new that God just randomly instituted on a whim.  Back when God first entered into a covenant with the Jews, he clearly outlined the blessings that they could expect for obedience and the judgments they could expect for disobedience. 

In other words, the judgments in Zechariah's vision were not some kind of 'fine print' in the covenant. They were well known to all.

The vision itself confirms that God has done nothing secretive.  The curses/judgments were written and exposed on the enormous unrolled scroll as it flew through the air, indicating that its text was neither hidden nor concealed; the message had been published far and wide.

Now that we know the scroll is displaying a copy of the judgments that were promised to Israel for disobedience or unfaithfulness, where might we find the original text?

These curses/judgments can be found in Deuteronomy 27:15-26 and Deuteronomy 28:15-68. 

Just to be clear, no Jew could claim they were ignorant of these judgments.  The law was read in their hearing on a yearly basis.  For example, Joshua read the promises of blessing and cursing to the entire nation once Israel had established itself in the Promised Land:

Joshua 8:34-35 - And afterward he [Joshua] read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law.  There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were living among them.

Here is a fun fact: Once Solomon's temple was built, the reading of the law normally occurred on the porch of the temple which, curiously, also measured 30 x 15 feet! 

Is there any significance to the fact that the scroll in the vision was flying? 

According to most bible commentators, the fact that the scroll was flying indicates that the promised judgments were swiftly approaching.  The time for escape or repeal had passed; God was going to keep his promises of judgment.  Through chastisement, he would bring Israel back into alignment with her destiny.

the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land – What does the angel mean when he says these curses or judgments will cover the whole land?

This refers to the whole land of Judea, or more accurately, the whole of God's people living in Judea. The Jews were the only people in covenant with God at that time, so they were the only people who were eligible to receive the promises of blessing or judgment.

As you know, this was not the only generation of God's people subject to judgment.  In the days of the Messiah, curses/judgments came upon the Jews of Jerusalem for rejecting Jesus as the Messiah.  In 70 AD, they witnessed the destruction of their nation, city and temple.  They were disbursed throughout the world, where they remained until they became a nation once again in 1948.

And even though we now live in the age of grace, we would do well to remember that God does not change – Christians are still required to be obedient to God's laws and to avoid sin.  If we do not, we too can expect judgment/discipline which will bring us back into alignment with God's laws and plans.

Hebrews 12:6 - For whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives.

For everyone who steals shall be cleaned out according to what is on one side, and everyone who swears falsely shall be cleaned out according to what is on the other side - Notice that the writing on one side of the scroll deals specifically with stealing, while the writing on the other side specifically mentions swearing falsely.  Why is that?

Before we explain, we need to be clear about the meaning of 'swears falsely'.  It does not refer to a common lie spoken to another person.  It refers to swearing a false oath or committing perjury. 

Perjury is the willful swearing of an oath in order to affirm something that is false or untrue.  It is a legal term.  In our society, we use it within the court system.  If you are called to the witness stand to give testimony, you must give an oath that you are telling the truth (the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth).  If you are subsequently found to be lying, you have committed perjury which is punishable under the law.

Perjury/swearing falsely involves anything that would impair the impartial and effective administration of justice.  It is emphatically condemned in our society and in Jewish law. 

Although perjury is a crime against mankind, in a broader sense it is also a crime against God. It is an example of treating him with irreverence by denying his omniscience, scorning his laws, profaning his name, and violating truth. God considered perjury a heinous crime:

Leviticus 19:12 - And you shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.

Zechariah 8:17 - And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbor; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, says the LORD.

With this in mind, let's circle back to the significance of stealing and perjury/swearing a false oath.

This reference goes back to the 'ten words' or what we commonly call the Ten Commandments (which are also referred to as Decalogue). As you recall, God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses while he was up on Mount Sinai for 40 days and nights.

Scripture is very clear that, like the scroll, the stone tablets had writing on both sides:

 

Exodus 32:15-19 - And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.  And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved upon the tables.

When Moses descended with the stone tablets, he found that Aaron had made a golden calf which Israel was worshiping at that very moment! In a fit of righteous rage, Moses threw the stone tablets and broke them (for the full story, see Exodus 32).

Later, God instructed Moses to form two new tablets and bring them up the mountain.  God then inscribed the commands on the two tablets which Moses provided as replacements (Exodus 34:1). 

Since there are 10 commands and two tablets, it is natural for us to assume that there were five on each tablet, but that is not necessarily the case.  In fact, many scholars believe there were four commands on the first tablet, and six on the second.

If this is the correct grouping, then it has the clear advantage of proclaiming all of our duties to God on the first tablet:

• You shall have no other gods before me.
• You shall not make or worship any graven images/idols.
• You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain. (This is the command that refers to perjury or swearing false oaths.)
• Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.

While all of our duties to our fellow man are on the second tablet:

• Honor your father and mother.
• You shall not kill.
• You shall not commit adultery.
• You shall not steal.
• You shall not bear false witness.
• You shall not covet.

(See Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:1-22). 

So by referencing the command 'You shall not swear falsely' (or take the name of the Lord in vain), the angel invokes all of the commands of the first tablet.  By referencing the command 'You shall not steal' the angel is invoking all of the commands of the second tablet.  Thus, all ten words or commands are being referenced by the writing on the scroll. 

Although God singles the Jews out for the specific sins of stealing and falsely swearing, the vision indicates that judgment is coming because the Jews have disregarded the whole law (all ten commands). They corrupted the worship of God, while defrauding and oppressing their fellow man. All would be punished because none were guiltless.

Now, before we move on to the final verse, let's re-examine the nuggets of information that we discovered about the scroll:

• The scroll is fully open and measures 30 x 15 feet. These are the exact dimensions of the temple porch where the law was read to the Jewish people on a regular basis. The scroll is open to show that the warnings it contained had been openly and publicly proclaimed to all the Israelites; no one could claim ignorance as an excuse.

• The judgment was written down which indicates that the time for repeal or escape had passed; the decree for judgment had been issued.

• The scroll was flying, to show that judgment would come swiftly/immediately.

• The writing was on both sides of the scroll to connect it with the tablets of the Law and to show its comprehensive nature. One side denounced perjury, representing the entire first table of the law. The second side denounced stealing, representing the entire second table. Thus, Israel is accused of breaking all ten commands.

The immediate application of the vision was to the Jews in Zechariah's day who had abandoned the construction of God's house in order to build their own homes and fill their own bank accounts.  They were robbing God and profaning the oath they made to return to Jerusalem for the express purpose of rebuilding the temple/walls. 

This may have been why 'stealing' and 'falsely swearing' were the specific commands mentioned in the vision.

Zechariah 5:4 – I will send it out, declares the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter the house of the thief, and the house of him who swears falsely by my name. And it shall remain in his house and consume it, both timber and stones.

I will send it out/it shall enter the house – The judgment that was coming was sent by God and it would not miss its mark.  It would find its way into the home of each and every offender who had profaned God's law – no exceptions. 

It shall remain in his house and consume it, both timber and stones – Once the judgment arrived, it would not leave until it thoroughly consumed everything in the household to which it was sent. It was like a disease – infecting, wasting, consuming, and destroying until everything in the house was gone, down to the very foundations of the structure.

Thus, the people who abandoned their commitment to God in order to build up their own prosperity were in trouble.  Their efforts to enrich themselves were in vain, because everything they worked for was consumed by God's wrath.  By the time this vision was given, the judgment was already under way.  The setbacks, hardships and lack the Jews were experiencing were the result of the judgment of God.

But there was still hope for God's people.  The purpose of judgment was to prompt the Jews to repent and correct the error of their ways.  As they removed sin and deception from their relationship with God and each other, God would restore their fortunes.  And as we will see in the next vision, God would eventually put an end to their suffering and trouble after he had removed their iniquity.

So, as we noted at the beginning of this study, judgment precedes Israel's restoration and is very prominently connected with it.

Now that we have a better understanding of the vision, ask yourself this question:  Does this vision have an application during the age of grace, or did it only apply to those under the law?

I believe it still applies today, because God has not changed. He still loves to bless his children, but he will still discipline those who persevere in sin without repentance. 

During the time of Christ, there were some Christians who felt that it was okay to sin, since the grace of God would atone for it. In fact, they thought it was okay to sin even more, because it would magnify the glory of God when he forgave them. However, the apostle Paul refutes that claim:

Romans 6:1-2, 6 - What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer in it?  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him [Christ], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that we should no longer serve sin.

It is obvious that even though we live in an age of forgiveness and grace, we are still responsible for keeping God's commands.  We are instructed to be holy, just as God is holy: 

1 Peter 1:15-16 - But as he who has called you is holy, so be holy in all manner of conduct; because it is written, You will be holy; for I am holy.

Just like the Jews, we are to live our lives in such a way as to reflect the glory of God and light the way for sinners to repent. 

If we choose to live worldly lives, we can expect God to chastise us, in order to set us back on the right path.  Scripture tells us that judgment begins in the house of God (I Peter 4:17).

Let me offer you some encouragement:

Some Christians are in the habit of practicing 'sloppy grace'.  They are not overly concerned with living holy lives, because the grace of God is able to forgive all sin.  If this is your point of view, I encourage you to take a second look at the teachings of the New Testament. 

If you do, you will find that God takes your personal holiness seriously. We are to be a nation of kings and priests; we are to walk in a manner worthy of the name of the Lord (Ephesians 4:1, Colossians 1:10, I Thessalonians 2:12, etc).

If you persist in engaging in sin without repentance, God will not hesitate to correct you, just as an earthy father corrects his children for their own good. So do yourself a favor – take stock of your personal holiness and make changes if needed.

Let me offer you some relief:

The world loves to present an untrue picture of God.  It tries to paint him as an angry tyrant, who is up in heaven waiting for you to fail so he can punish you.

If this is your impression of God, let me give you some relief.  

God is a loving Father who wants to bless you with things so wonderful, you can't even imagine them (I Corinthians 2:9). 

Think about it this way: God has already given you the most precious gift in the universe – his Son, Jesus.  Why would he do that if he was looking for an opportunity to punish you?  Plus, if God was willing to give you his best, why would he withhold any lesser gift from you?

Romans 8:32 – He [God] who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

The truth is that God never derives pleasure from punishing people. He lovingly but firmly corrects his children for their own good, just as he did with the Israelites.

Let me offer you some strength:

Perhaps you find yourself in a season of correction right now. If that is the case, don't despair. Humble yourself, repent, submit to authority, and make whatever amends are necessary. Make sure you understand the circumstances that took you off course, so you can avoid making that mistake again.

Finally, strengthen yourself with the knowledge that this is a temporary season - God takes great delight in having you 'back on course' and his blessings will find you as you walk according to his plans and purposes for your life!

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Zechariah 4:7 – "Who are you, O great mountain?  Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain.  And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of 'Grace, Grace to it!'"

We are continuing to look at the fifth vision of Zechariah.  As you recall from last week's post, Zechariah saw a variation of the lamp stand which stood in the temple.  It was different from the normal lamp stand in the way the lamps were supplied with oil.

The vision also showed two olive trees, one on each side of the lamp stand.  They provided a continuous flow of oil to a large bowel on the top of the lamp, which in turn fed each of the seven lamps through seven pipes.  The significance of this is that the lamp stand had a constant source of power which never ran dry.  

Spiritually speaking, the lamp stand represents the work of Holy Spirit on earth.  He illuminates the hearts and minds of people so they can recognize sin and be drawn to forgiveness through the blood of Christ.

He also empowers the church to carry out her mission of spreading the gospel to the uttermost parts of the world.

Obviously, God has called you to share the love of Christ and the message of salvation with those you meet.  But very few of us are called to be full-time ministers; most of us are called to another vocation, just like the men of Zechariah's day. 

What has God called you to do?  Become a physician, a nurse, or a paramedic?  Has he called you to a career in law or finance?  Has he placed you in the position to be a carpenter (like himself), a welder, a baker, a librarian, a dog groomer, or a business owner?  Has he given you great artistic talent?

Whatever God has called you to do, do it with all your might and let the light of the gospel shine through it.  And remember, you can access all the power and resources you need through Holy Spirit.  The Spirit's role in the life of each individual believer as well as the church collectively, cannot be overstated. 

Question: Oil is one of the symbols for Holy Spirit (Isaiah 61:1, Acts 10:38, etc). In the Old Testament, three specific groups of people were always anointed with oil to prepare them for service. Do you know who they were?

Answer: Prophets, priests, and kings.

When prophets, priests and kings were anointed with oil, Holy Spirit came upon them providing the power and wisdom they needed to be successful in their jobs:

1 Samuel 16:13 -Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him [David] in the midst of his brethren: and the spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.  

As we know, only one person has ever embodied the role of all three ministries (prophet, priest, king) in their life and that was Jesus.  And even he was anointed by Holy Spirit before beginning his ministry:

Luke 4:1-2 -And Jesus being full of the Holy Spirit returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil.

Jesus publicly confirmed his anointing as he preached in one of the Jewish synagogues:

Luke 4:18-19 -The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

If Jesus himself needed the anointing of Holy Spirit in his life to fulfill the mission given to him by Father God, how much more do we?

Conclusion: The constant flow of oil in the lamp stand of Zechariah's vision is symbolic. It shows us that the ministry of God's people does not depend upon our own strength, wisdom, or resources; God has given us unlimited amounts of everything we need to accomplish our mission through the work of Holy Spirit (II Peter 1:3).

Therefore, it becomes clear that the work of God on earth is accomplished through a partnership between men/women and Holy Spirit.

This was clearly the case for the Jewish governor Zerubbabel, who was given the following word of comfort from God through Zechariah:

Who are you, O great mountain–In this vision, the mountain represents Satan along with all his followers and all their evil schemes.  Just as a mountain rises above the surrounding land, Satan tries to exalt himself over God and all that God has created (man and the earth). He attempts to create obstacles/strong holds and opposition to the work of the Lord.

During the time of Zechariah, Satan was working full-time through Sanballat and his companions who actively opposed the rebuilding of the temple.  They fought through legal means, use of force, threats and even compromise. 

Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain - However, all the efforts of Satan and his servants are in vain, for the Spirit of the Lord works through the people of God to assure victory.  The obstacles or 'mountains' they have put up against the work of the Lord will be made as flat and smooth as a plain:

Isaiah 40:4-5 - Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places smooth: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD has spoken it.

The same concept is confirmed in the New Testament. The apostle Paul tells us that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down everything that exalts itself against God (II Corinthians 10:4-5). In other words, when we fight in the spiritual realm through prayer, fasting, and declarations of the word, Holy Spirit will flatten the plans of the enemy like a pancake!

And he shall bring forward the top stone– This statement refers to the partially finished temple.  Work on the structure ceased after the foundation was laid; humanly speaking completion of the building was by no means certain.  The Jews were out of hope, out of resources and out of commission due to legal wrangling.

But God gave a sure word to Zechariah that the temple most certainly would be finished.  This was not just some far off promise; it would be done in their generation through Zerubbabel, who had started the project.

Amid shouts of grace, grace to it! – The work would be covered with 'grace upon grace'. In other words, God's favor rested upon this project. The building of the temple was not an end, but the beginning of the new work that God was going to complete through his people. This work would culminate when Jesus the Messiah came through the Jewish line to fulfill the Old Testament rites of the temple.(Little did the men of Zechariah's day know, but one day the Messiah would preach in the very temple they were building!)

Satan's plans were thwarted back in the day of Zechariah, but he didn't give up.

Think back to the time after the resurrection of Christ. The book of Acts is very clear that Satan worked through the religious leaders of that day to oppose the gospel message. They raised mountains of opposition against the apostles and other believers through legal means, use of force, threats and even attempts at compromise. But once again, Satan was defeated. The eternal, unseen, spiritual church of God was laid upon the foundation of the cross. Hallelujah!

Now, in the age of grace, we continue to build the church of God.  We can expect Satan to continue opposing us, just as he always has.  But we can rest assured that God is just as capable of turning mountains into plains today as he was in Zechariah's generation.  No matter how violently the wicked rage against Christians and our message, their schemes will be frustrated when God suddenly reduces them to nothing.

And one day, in the fullness of time, Jesus himself will return to earth and gather us into his eternal kingdom! As the old hymn says, 'What a glorious day that will be'!

Zechariah 4:8-9 – And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it.  Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you."

Here we find yet another promise that God's plans were coming to fruition.  Everyone knew/acknowledged that the foundations of the temple had been laid under the leadership of Zerubbabel, but many believed the building would never be finished, due to the opposition by Satan.  As despair and hopelessness began to overtake the Jews, God stepped in and declared (twice) that the temple would be finished, and it would be done by none other than Zerubbabel himself.

Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you - There are two kinds of knowledge. The first kind is knowledge by faith. This occurs when we read the promises of God and believe them, even though we haven't yet seen their fulfillment.

For instance, scripture tells us that one day the trumpet of God will sound, the dead in Christ shall rise, and all living Christians will join Jesus in the air. Together, he will take us to his Father's house. We refer to this event as the Rapture (I Thessalonians 4).

Your knowledge of the rapture is faith-based.  Even though it hasn't happened yet, you believe in it because you read about it in the bible, and you know God never breaks a promise. 

The second kind of knowledge is knowledge by experience. This kind of knowledge is apparent to all because God gives an immediate and public fulfillment of the promise. It is a sure proof that God has not spoken in vain; he has kept his word.

In the present case, God is saying that the people of Zechariah's day will know that God has spoken the promise of a completed temple, because they will live to see that promise fulfilled.

Zechariah 4:10 – "For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.  These seven are the eyes of the LORD, which range through the whole earth." 

Despised the day of small things – This is a specific reference to the second temple.  It would soon be completed, just as God declared.  And when it was, it was a huge disappointment to a lot of people.

As we might expect, the enemies of Israel despised the temple, because it represented their failure.  Despite all of their schemes, God empowered the Jews with his Spirit and they completed the structure.

But did you know that many of the Jews also despised the building?

Ezra 3:12 -But many of the priests and Levites and heads of the fathers' houses, who were old men, who had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice;

Haggai 2:3 -Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? And how do you see it now? Is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?

Many of the Jews who returned to Israel were deeply distressed and very disappointed in the second temple.  This group mostly consisted of older men who had lived long enough to remember the glory and opulence of Solomon's temple.  They despised the new structure because it was relatively small, plain, and simple.  (They fell into the trap of comparing it to the work of another.  Let the reader beware.)

But God himself was pleased with this second temple and he was very adamant that the Jews should not look upon it with disappointment. The issue was one of perspective - the Jews thought they were looking at the end result of their efforts, but God considered the second temple a starting point.

Remember, it was God's plan for the Jews to be a witness of his love that would draw all nations to himself (Genesis 26:4).  That would only be accomplished after the sacrifice of Christ, when Jews and Gentiles alike became members of the family of God through the gift of salvation. 

Little did the Jews of Zechariah's day know, the second temple (which disappointed them), was the very structure where God himself, in the flesh, would one day stand and deliver the gospel message!  That message has exploded throughout the world ever since; God's kingdom is still expanding even today!

Haggai 2:9 -The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, says the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, says the LORD of hosts.

The Jews thought the temple was the place of fellowship between them and God (which it was, during their day).  However, they could not even begin to imagine how big God's ultimate plan was.  Their wildest dreams fell far, far short of the reality God brought to pass – an open invitation for every man, woman and child (Jew or Gentile) to enter the kingdom of heaven and dwell forever in the presence of God!

That was the true significance of the second temple, which they despised!

Never make the mistake of despising any ministry that God has instituted (including your own).

At best, you can only perceive that ministry's influence at a particular moment in time (which is what the Jews of Zachariah's day were doing). You can't see what God will ultimately bring about with that small beginning. You cannot see, understand, or predict how far it will spread, how many people it will touch, or how far it will extend into the future after you are gone.

Consider these examples:  God raised Joseph from prison, David from the sheepfold, Daniel from slavery and Gideon from the winepress (just to name a few).  They started with humble beginnings, but their lives/ministries still touch people today. 

And that's not all. God converted the world by using fishermen, tax collectors and tent makers! So don't put God in a box. Don't presume to judge or decide what God can or cannot do with the work he has given YOU to do, or the testimony you share with the world.

Here are a couple of other tips for ministry:

• Don't compare your ministry to that of others. God has called you to fill in unique role in the world, so your ministry will be unique as well.

• Don't delay or be slothful in your spiritual work. Instead, diligently and joyfully be about the Father's business. You have been anointed with the Spirit, so go in his power and complete the project. Let God worry about what he is going to accomplish with it!

These seven are the eyes of the Lord which run to and fro through the whole earth – We have already discussed the significance of this phrase, because it appeared in Zechariah's fourth vision (Zechariah 3:9).

To reiterate, the seven-eye description can only apply to Jesus Christ; he alone is a living being of manifold intelligence who possesses universal perception, insight and understanding.  With such divine sight, he surveys and provides for the well-being of the whole church. 

Besides representing divine insight/understanding, the seven eyes are also an analogy for the sevenfold Spirit of God, which rested upon Christ without measure (John 3:34). 

So, the meaning here is much the same as it was in the fourth vision – God sees and knows all things; nothing is hidden from his sight.  

By his Spirit, he would empower the Jews to finish the task set before them.  Because of God's watchful eye, all the plans of Satan would ultimately be frustrated and stopped.    In other words, God was watching over the work of the Jews and as long as they moved forward in faith and did not give up, victory was assured.

• What implications does this vision have for the church today?

• What is God calling your individual church to do for him?

• How does this vision bring hope to you in your ministry or vocation in life?

Ecclesiastes 9:10 -Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, where you go.

Whatever your calling may be, don't consider it trifling or insignificant, because you don't know what God is going to do with it.  Only he can see the end from the beginning.  Whatever you do for the Lord, do it now, and do it with all your might!

Zechariah 4:11-12 – Then I said to him, "What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lamp stand?"And a second time I answered and said to him, "What are these two branches of the olive trees, which are beside the two golden pipes from which the golden oil is poured out?"

As the meaning of the vision is being made plain to Zechariah, there are still one or two points that are not yet clear to him, and he naturally asks follow-up questions.

In particular, he asks about the two trees (one on each side of the lamp stand) and the golden pipes through which the oil flows.

It is obvious that they are tied to the overall meaning of the vision - God was going to empower his people with his Spirit in order for them to accomplish the task he has assigned to them – but what exactly did they represent? 

Zechariah 4:13-14 – He said to me, "Do you not know what these are?"  I said, "No, my lord."Then he said, "These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth."

In response to his question, Zechariah is told that the two trees represent 'two anointed ones' who stand by the Lord.  The literal translation is two 'sons of oil'.

The picture here is that of a Master or Lord seated in a place of power, who has two of his trusted, valuable servants standing at his sides, ready to perform his will.

Not surprisingly, bible commentators have given different interpretations to the two 'sons of oil'.

To begin with, the sons of oil are identified as Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest (who we saw in the last vision). They are the leaders of Israel, who have been placed in authority by God. They themselves have been anointed by God for their specific duties and clearly the anointing of Holy Spirit flowed through them to fill the lamp of Israel with the power to carry out God's work (building the temple). All scholars agree that this is one correct interpretation of the two sons of oil.

However, if we consider not just these specific individuals, but the offices they represent, we can see a bigger picture of what God is doing.

As you know, Joshua was the high priest and Zerubbabel was the civil authority of that day. Therefore, the two trees may very well symbolize spiritual and civil offices/leadership. When these leaders were dedicated to the work of God, God did great things through them. If we look back in the history of the Jews, we find this was often the case.

For example, during the time of the exodus, Moses was the civil authority and Aaron his brother was the high priest.  Together, they were God's anointed leaders who led Israel out of captivity and to the gates of the Promised Land.

Another example would be when Daniel (as civil ruler) was paired with Ezekiel (as priest) during the time of the Babylonian captivity.  Together, they guided Israel through the time of hardship during the captivity.

In other interpretations, Peter and Paul are also identified as fitting into the mold of the two trees, because they were God's chosen vessels to speak to both Jews and Gentiles. At the same time, some scholars believe the two trees are Jews and Christians who together make up the church.

Still others believe the two trees represent the Law and the Gospel. Through the Law and the Gospel, apostles, prophets, and teachers of every age illuminate the hearts and minds of God's followers. Their work is done through the power of Holy Spirit and the end result of their work is that the anointing of God flows to the entire church (the lamp stand) which then shines the light of the gospel to sinners who dwell in spiritual darkness.

Another interpretation says that both trees ultimately refer to Christ; they represent his two offices of King and Priest.  Through him the anointing of Holy Spirit flows to the church equipping and empowering her to fulfill the role God has designed for her.

Regardless of which interpretation you believe is correct, one thing is sure:

God has equipped the church for her mission through the power and anointing of Holy Spirit.  When we partner with the Spirit, nothing is impossible!

Let me offer you some encouragement:

As we consider the visions, we cannot help but notice that in every single case, Zechariah lacks understanding of what he has seen.� However, as he humbly asks for wisdom and understanding, it is given to him.

So, as you read your bible, I encourage you to be inquisitive.  Think about the situations presented.  Consider the things that are said and even the things that are NOT said.  If you have a question that needs an answer, seek the help of Holy Spirit.  He is the Spirit of truth, and he will guide you to the answer you seek.

John 16:13 -But when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. 

 

Let me offer you some relief:

Have you been trying to steward your ministry in your own strength? If so, you are probably experiencing frustration, difficulty and lack.  Results are minimal (if they exist at all).

But there is help for your situation!  As we saw in today's post, God never intended for you to fulfill the calling on your life without help.  In fact, it would be impossible to do so!

If you want to find some relief, then enter your prayer closet and repent for trying to get along without the help of Holy Spirit. Then ask him to anoint and empower you for your ministry.

 

Let me offer you some strength:

Victory for the believer ultimately lies in a partnership between God and man. 

Zerubbabel was tasked with rebuilding the temple.  This was an enormous undertaking, and it had a lot of opposition.  In fact, the difficulties rose up before Zerubbabel like an unending mountain range!

But great as these mountains of difficulty were, God assured Zerubbabel that he possessed resources that were more than equal to the task. Though Zerubbabel's efforts seemed feeble, success was inevitable when the work was anointed with the power of Holy Spirit.

The same can be true of both individual believers and the church of Jesus Christ. The church has an immense task before her – to spread the gospel throughout the world and to disciple all nations.

Though our efforts seem almost futile at times, if we follow the direction of Holy Spirit, our victory is assured. Amen!

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Zechariah 4:1 – And the angel who talked with me came again and woke me, like a man who is awakened out of his sleep.

Hello again, dear readers! Here we are presented with the fifth vision of Zechariah.  Of his eight visions, this one is perhaps the best known.  It was and continues to be of immense comfort to God's people.

We know that all the visions came to Zechariah on the same night, which means that he can't be getting much sleep.  For this reason, we may be tempted to assume that when the assisting angel came to him with the fifth vision, he needed to be awakened from slumber.

However, careful consideration will show that this is not the case.  He was stirred up 'LIKE' a man who is awakened out of sleep. 

In other words, Zechariah was either in a prophetic trance or possibly an intellectual stupor; he was overcome with astonishment/amazement because of the deep spiritual wisdom and insights that God was pouring into him.

If we stop to consider the situation, this makes perfect sense. The content and implications of just one vision were enough to make anyone's head swim. To have multiple visions in such a short span of time was mind-blowing. No wonder he needed to be awakened or roused for the next vision!

Zechariah 4:2-3 – And he said to me, "What do you see?" I said, "I see, and behold, a lamp stand all of gold, with a bowl on top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on top of it.  And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left."

In this vision the prophet sees a seven-branched lamp stand made entirely of gold.  Does that sound vaguely familiar to you?

It should – Zechariah's vision is a variation of the lamp stand that was found in the Holy Place of the tabernacle:

Exodus 25:31-32 -And you shall make a lamp stand of pure gold: of hammered work shall the lamp stand be made: its shaft, and its branches, its bowls, its knobs, and its flowers, shall be of the same one piece.  And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the lamp stand out of one side, and three branches of the lamp stand out of the other side:

Exodus 25:37 - And you shall make its seven lamps: and they shall light its lamps, that they may give light in front of it.

A full description of the lamp stand can be found in Exodus 25:31-40, Exodus 37:17-24 and Numbers 8:1-4. 

So,  what do we know about the lamp stand?

• It was made from a lump of pure gold weighing one talent.

• It was formed by beating the gold with a hammer (as opposed to melting the gold and pouring it into a mold).

• According to Jewish tradition, the lamp stand measured 3 cubits (4 feet) in height.

• From the base there arose a central shaft with three branches on the left, three branches on the right and a single branch in the center.

• A lamp sat upon the top of each branch, resulting in a total of seven lamps.

• Each branch or arm of the lamp stand was designed to represent a flowering and fruit bearing almond branch.

• The lamp was designed to use oil for fuel, with a wick for each of the seven flames.

 

Tradition depicts the lamps as being all on the same level, however, this is not certain. Many scholars feel that the seven lamps were stepped, with the single center lamp rising above those on the sides.

During the era of the tabernacle, the lamp was kept lit unless Israel was moving.  Once Solomon's temple was built, the lamp stand was kept perpetually burning.  Each morning a priest filled the lamps with oil and trimmed the wicks.

The lamp stand stood in the Holy Place along with the table of showbread and the altar of incense.  As you recall, the Holy Place had no natural sunlight; the lamp stand was the only illumination in that room.  Therefore, the priests depended upon this light in order to complete their ministry.

As a final note, we need to mention that the Hebrew word for lamp stand is 'menorah', which means 'light holder'.  For this reason, some translations render the word as 'candlestick', but that is not accurate. Candles are never mentioned in scripture as being part of any religious worship.

While there can be no doubt that the lamp stand in Zechariah's vision was the one in the temple, it had some notable differences from the original.  These differences center on the way the lamp stand is supplied with oil.

The lamp stand in Zechariah's vision had a single bowl on top of the lamp stand with seven 'lips' or pipes (the literal translation is seven pourers). Thus, we see that the oil in the bowl constantly and consistently flows into each of the seven lamps though the seven pipes.  No such arrangement existed in the actual temple lamp stand.

Furthermore, the prophet saw two olive trees, one on each side of the lamp stand, which were continually supplying oil to the bowl which in turn filled the lamps. 

What was God showing the Jews of Zechariah's day through this vision?

Zechariah 4:4 – And I said to the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?"

Zechariah had no difficulty recognizing the olive trees and the lamp stand even with its unique variations.  When he asks the assisting angel 'what are these', he is asking what the items in the vision represent or signify.  He is asking for understanding regarding the vision.

Zechariah 4:5 – Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, "Do you not know what these are?"  I said, "No, my lord."

The assisting angel has an unusual response to the prophet's question. 

We might paraphrase the angel's response like this: "Are you serious?  You really don't understand the significance of the lamp stand and the olive trees?"

Scholars are divided on whether the angel was chastising Zechariah for his ignorance/stupidity or whether he was using the question to sharpen/focus the prophet's attention on the answer he was about to receive. 

My personal belief is that the angel was sharpening the prophet's attention.  This is based on the fact that God never chastises us for asking him for wisdom; in fact, he encourages the practice:

James 1:5 – If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

If Zechariah was being given a cue to pay attention to the meaning of the vision, then it must be significant – for ancient Israel and for us.

Zechariah 4:6 – Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts."

Now the assisting angel begins to give revelation to Zechariah. The vision of the unusual lamp stand that he has seen is a direct word from the Lord – God's plans and purposes will be accomplished not by the will or valor or resourcefulness of man, but by the power of Holy Spirit.

As you recall, at the time Zechariah received these visions Joshua was the high priest and Zerubbabel was the governor of the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem.  During this time, the Jews were destitute and bordering on hopelessness.  They felt it was impossible for them to finish the task God had set before them – to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and the temple. 

Keep in mind that to re-establish the boundaries of Jerusalem and to rebuild the temple was to restore relationship between the Jewish people and God.  Once this was done, the Jews would once again be in a position to be a light to the nations who were in spiritual darkness.  Therefore, the completion of their task had both natural and spiritual implications.

Truthfully, the Jews were correct – in the natural realm, there was very little chance of them succeeding in their undertaking.

But at this point of despair, God enters the situation and gives a message of victory and hope to the nation.  There was no reason to be anxious or afraid.  Just as the lamp stand was divinely supplied with oil by the olive trees (without the help of man), so would the temple and walls of Jerusalem be built through the power of the Spirit of God.

As we will discuss in our post next week, man still had a vital role to play in the plans of God, but regardless of man's performance, victory was assured through the Spirit. No enemy of the Lord would be able to thwart or stop God's plans.  There would be no shortage of time, funds, or resources; the Jews would have everything they needed and more.  In addition, Holy Spirit would encourage, strengthen, equip and embolden the people to finish the job. 

Thus, the project would be accomplished not by the will or strength of man, but by the Spirit of the Lord.  In this vision, God was reassuring his people that his purposes and plans for them would come to pass in their lifetime.  This was an amazing promise to the Jews of that day.

From our point of view, we can look back and see how this vision also applied to the early days of the church.

After Jesus rose from the dead, the disciples were fearful, disorganized, and unsure what to do next. The Jewish religious leaders wanted to kill them. The Romans/Gentiles were beginning to persecute them. The only resources they had were funds provided by the women who supported Christ. Most of them had very little education and some of them were outcasts from society. Yet, they had been given a mission to carry the gospel message to the ends of the earth.

Matthew 28: 19-20 – Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Let's face it – in their own power and strength, they were going to fail. But as we know, Jesus specifically instructed them not to set about their mission until they had received the baptism of Holy Spirit in their lives:

Luke 24:49 – And behold I [Jesus] am sending the promise of my Father upon you [baptism with Holy Spirit]. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.

And clearly it was Holy Spirit who made all the difference! Once they were baptized in the Spirit, the disciples of Christ were transformed from fearful, ignorant men (and women) into powerful witnesses for Christ (Acts 4:31). The mystery of the gospel was opened to their minds (John 14:26) and God worked through them to birth the church. All this was done by the power of God's Spirit; through him God's will for that generation was indeed accomplished.

 

Our generation is experiencing yet another fulfillment of this vision. 

When America was founded as a nation, our forefathers committed to continuing the mission of spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth.  However, if you look around today, it is evident that as a nation we have forsaken the Lord; we are no longer considered a Christian nation.  As a result of our sin, we are struggling to keep America from completely disintegrating.  

In the natural realm, there is absolutely no hope for us to stem the tide of evil which seeks to 'reset' America and put us on a different path – one that no longer even acknowledges (much less serves) the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 

But there is hope.  We too can be encouraged by the vision of Zechariah; nothing is impossible with God through the power of Holy Spirit! 

Let's take a closer look at what the temple lamp stand represented:

As we already noted, the lamp stand had room for seven lamps.  This was the only illumination in the Holy Place; without this light the priests could not fulfill their duties.

Spiritually speaking, the lamp stand represents the sevenfold illumination of Holy Spirit, which was revealed through Jesus Christ, the light of the world.

Revelation 4:5 - And out of the throne proceeded lightning and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. 

Without the illumination of Holy Spirit, man would never be able to clearly see his sin and accept the offer of salvation given to us by God.  After we have surrendered to Christ, Holy Spirit further illuminates the deep recesses of our lives, removing the darkness of error, immorality and sin that still lurks within our hearts. 

The Spirit also gives gifts (word of wisdom, word of knowledge, discernment of spirits, gifts of healing, gift of faith, tongues and interpretation of tongues) for the edification and empowerment of the church.  These allow us to walk in the power and might of Christ, as we continue to spread the gospel message to the uttermost parts of the world. 

The bottom line is that God's will for our nation SHALL COME TO PASS.  When we are weak, the Spirit becomes our strength.  What is impossible for us through our own wisdom, strength and resources is made possible through the power and might of Holy Spirit. 

So, no matter how dark or hopeless things look for the church today, we have the assurance of divine victory, which flows like oil through the ministry of Holy Spirit.

 

Let me offer you some encouragement:

In many ways, our generation is no different than the one of Zechariah's day.  We too face tests and trials.  We too have been commissioned by God to fulfill a task which is way, way bigger than anything we could accomplish in our own strength. 

None of this should be a surprise.  If God gave us a task which we could complete with our own resources and strength, we would certainly take all the credit for it.  By putting us in a position where we must trust in him and work hand-in-hand with Holy Spirit to gain the victory, God receives the glory that is due him.

When he is glorified, sinners are drawn to him and they have the opportunity to receive salvation.  

So don't despair when you feel that you need a miracle in your ministry – it may simply mean that you are right where God wants you to be!

 

Let me offer you some relief:

What are you lacking in your ministry?  Time? Money? Equipment? Connections? A building? Increased wisdom?  Discernment? Power/influence?   

You don't have to possess all these qualities/resources in order to accomplish the task God has given you.  You do need to make good decisions and use what you have, but rest assured that whatever you lack, Holy Spirit can supply. 

Lean into him and he will provide all that you need.

 

Let me offer you some strength:

THERE IS HOPE! There is hope for your family, hope for this nation and hope for the church. 

Our hope is not founded in our own wisdom or strength.  It is founded upon the one who created the stars, names each one and keeps them all in place.  It is founded upon the one who has created all things.  It is founded upon the one who opens blind eyes and cures all disease.  It is founded upon the one who is able to restore life to a bunch of dry bones.  It is founded upon the one who has never lost a battle and who never will!

Romans 15:13 - Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit.