SHOWERS

Zechariah, Chapter 7, Part 2

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.

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!

Zechariah, Chapter 7, Part 1

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.

Zechariah, Chapter 6, Part 2

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.

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.

Zechariah, Chapter 6, Part 1

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!

Zechariah, Chapter 5, Part 2

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.

Zechariah, Chapter 5, Part 1

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!

Zechariah, Chapter 4, Part 2

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!

Zechariah, Chapter 4, Part 1

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.

Zechariah, Chapter 3

Zechariah 3:1 – Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.

Now we come to the fourth vision of Zechariah.

Joshua the high priest – There can be no doubt that Joshua the high priest was the man that Zechariah saw in this vision. We know this because Zechariah was a priest as well as a prophet, which means that Joshua was essentially his boss.

Joshua returned to Jerusalem from the captivity and served as the high priest during the tumultuous years when the temple was being rebuilt. As such, he faced a lot of pressure and danger from the enemies of Israel, who did everything in their power to stop him. At the same time, he was the spiritual leader of the Jews who were very discouraged. His ministry was full of difficulty and trials.

As the spiritual leader of the nation, Joshua was expected to teach the commands of God and provide an example of holiness to the Jews he served. However, we know that his sons (and possibly he himself) had taken foreign women as their wives (Ezra 10:18). Even if this was not the case for Joshua, we know that he, like every other person in the world, was not blameless. He was a sinner.

Nevertheless, he was seen in the vision to 'stand before the angel of the Lord'. This means that in the vision, Zechariah saw him serving in his capacity as high priest.

The angel of the Lord – We can also be fully confident in the identity of the angel of the Lord – it is none other than Jesus, our Lord and Savior, who was also present in Zechariah's other visions.

His identity is further confirmed by the actions he takes later in this vision – he rebukes Satan, advocates for his people Israel, removes sin and clothes Joshua with righteousness. Only Jesus has the power and authority to do these things.

Satan – This guy needs no introduction; we all know him. Just as his name indicates, he is our adversary, our enemy and our accuser.

At his right hand – This is an interesting detail. Is there any significance to the fact that Satan is standing at Joshua's right hand? Bible commentators think there is. In fact, they offer two possible explanations for this phrase.

First, the phrase 'at his right hand' may indicate that Satan was in a position to hinder the work of Joshua/Israel in rebuilding the temple and walls of Jerusalem. He did this by stirring up enemies against them (i.e., Sanballat – Nehemiah chapters 2, 4 and 6).

This is certainly a valid interpretation which is true in every age. Even now Satan positions himself to oppose, hinder, intimidate and otherwise stop the church from continuing to spread the gospel message and build the kingdom of heaven.

He does this by working through ordinary people who are deceived by his lies. These workers of iniquity often cause Christians grief, sorrow and frustration. But we must remember that these people are not the real enemy. As Zechariah's vision shows us, we are actually fighting against spiritual principalities and powers (Ephesians 6:12). Sadly, these people are being used by Satan as pawns in his war against God. They need prayer, not judgment or condemnation.

A second explanation of 'at his right hand' says that Satan takes this specific position because the right side of the courtroom is the normal position for the prosecutor (Psalms 109:6).

In this scenario, Satan is fulfilling the role of the prosecutor – he is filing 'legal' charges against Joshua in the courtroom of heaven. This is significant because in this vision, Joshua sometimes represents the entire Jewish nation and/or God's people. (We will point out these instances as we go through the vision.) If Satan is successful in bringing judgment on Joshua, it will fall upon us too, as we are all guilty of sin.

To accuse him - Satan is accusing the defendant of sin and attempting to prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law of God. And make no mistake, under the laws of the covenant, Joshua (and all mankind) clearly deserved death.

Zechariah 3:2 – And the Lord said to Satan, "The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?"

And the Lord said unto Satan, "The Lord rebuke you" - On the surface, this seems like an odd phrase. Why would the Lord say 'the Lord rebuke you' as if he were speaking in the third person?

The answer is found in the triune nature of God. This is a very difficult concept for us to wrap our minds around, however, it is fully supported in scripture. One of the best known descriptions of the Trinity is the Westminster Confession:

There is but one living and true God. In the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, of one substance, power and eternity – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Father is one, neither begotten or proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son.

In this particular case, we have the angel of the Lord (Jesus) saying to Satan, 'the Lord (Father God) rebuke you'.

The Lord rebuke you, O Satan – This phrase is a form of intercession by Jesus to Father God on behalf of Joshua.

Keep in mind that 'rebuke' means to silence, to restrain or to reprehend sharply. A rebuke can also refer to a reprimand as well as chastisement or punishment.

This statement of Jesus is essentially a plea for Father God to silence/restrain/chastise Satan so that he cannot continue to accuse Joshua (who represents all of God's people).

In addition to silencing his verbal accusations, this statement is also a request to confound Satan's schemes and restrain him from doing mischief and opposing God's people.

What was the outcome of Jesus' intercession?

As we would expect, he was successful. This was evident back in Zechariah's day, as the Jews were ultimately successful in rebuilding the temple and the city walls.

However, its highest fulfillment came when Jesus died and rose again. Since his blood was/is capable of fully paying the price of our sin, Satan could no longer accuse us before the Father. Thanks to Jesus, Satan's accusations are now baseless because Christians are fully justified in God's sight.

The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you–Joshua (God's people) are acquitted of all charges, not because Satan was incorrect in his accusations, but because of God's choice. He chose love and mercy over judgment; he chose to provide his Son as the atonement for our sin.

James 2:13 - mercy triumphs over judgment.

It is interesting that we find Jesus rebuking Satan twice. Did you notice that no lengthy discussion or trial takes place? God simply silences our adversary with a single phrase. This indicates the absolute certainty of Satan's plans and accusations being frustrated by our Father. However sinful God's people currently are, God has chosen them/us as his people and Satan cannot overturn that decision.

Is not this a brand plucked from the fire - This refers to Joshua, who is representative of all of Israel/God's people. A 'brand' is a stick or piece of wood that has been partially burnt in a fire. Fire represents punishment and suffering.

Like a branch that is cut off from the tree, the priesthood had ceased when Israel went into captivity and Solomon's temple was destroyed. Though God had appointed Joshua as high priest, the priesthood had not yet been restored to its former glory. The same could be said of the entire nation – it ceased to exist politically when it went into exile. Even though God allowed his people to return to Jerusalem, their current situation couldn't have been worse.

God's people were like dry sticks that had been cast into a fire and half burnt – they were separated from God, they were unprofitable, unfruitful and in danger of being consumed by divine wrath (which they justly deserved).

Clearly, God did not simply ignore or sweep the sins of Israel under the rug. He knows Israel is guilty of breaking the law and that they deserve the punishments that Satan is lobbying for them to receive.

But God has chosen to extend grace, mercy, and love to them. By his mighty power, he plucked a remnant out of captivity and protected them from destruction like a burned stick grabbed out of a raging fire.

The meaning is that God is rebuking Satan once again, telling him to stop imputing sin/death to those on whom he has chosen to show mercy.

This was a clear and significant message to the people of Israel – although their current situation looked grim, God was not finished with them yet. He had chosen to favor the high priest (and his people), despite their past mistakes.

Thus, the good work that God had begun in them during the days of Abraham would continue – they would overcome their enemies and finish the work God had called him to do. This reassures Israel that God is not like men – he does not grow weary of doing good; he is faithful to his promises. For their part, Israel needed to stop looking at the natural realm and grasp God's promises by faith.

Again, we can point to the completion of the temple/walls of Jerusalem by a remnant of the Jews as a fulfillment of this promise.

We can look back in history and see another fulfillment as well. It occurred during the days of the incarnation. John the Baptist warned the religious leaders to repent, lest they fall under judgment and be cut off from God once again:

Luke 3:9 -And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which brings not forth good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.

Although many refused to repent, God once again saved a remnant of Israel, despite the persecution of Rome and other world powers.

Is this a message the church should embrace? I believe so. Gentiles are sinners who deserve punishment just as much as the Jews. Satan looks to condemn us just as he did Joshua the high priest and the children of Israel.

But once again, God has extended mercy instead of judgment. The sacrifice of Christ cleanses both Jews and Gentiles from sin; Gentiles have been welcomed into the kingdom of heaven. All people can now be fully justified in God's sight. All Christians live as restored priests in the kingdom of God:

1 Peter 2:9 - But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:

If we repent of our sin we are no longer dry branches cast into the fiery furnace of punishment – we are living branches abiding in Christ and bearing fruit for his kingdom and glory:

John 15:5 - I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing.

Despite the love and mercy of God, many churches today are asleep – they indulge in sin, embrace the world and exhibit indifference toward Christ. However, we should not lose hope because God always has a faithful remnant in every generation. He will use us to awaken other Christians from sleep and to bring the unsaved into his kingdom.

We can take comfort in knowing that once he has begun a good work in us, he will continue to perform it, until Christ returns (Philippians 1:6).

Zechariah 3:3 – Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments.

Standing before the angel–In this case, the priest was 'standing' or pictured as ministering before the Lord. In other words, when Zechariah saw Joshua in his vision the priest was performing the duties of his office as Jesus looked on. He was most likely making atonement for the sins of Israel.

Clothed with filthy garments–As Joshua ministered, Zechariah could not help but notice his clothing. The garments referred to here would be the high priestly robes, worn as the priest ministered in the temple. The vision implies that this was not an isolated incident – his garments were perpetually nasty and disgusting. What does that mean?

Scripture tells us that filthy garments represent general defilement by sin:

Isaiah 64:6 - But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

(See also Isaiah 4:3-4, Proverbs 30:12, etc). The appearance of the priesthood was vile because God would not overlook its sin/shame.

However, there was good news too – a time of restoration was coming. God would eventually provide a high priest who was free from sin and who could make atonement for the sin of all people (Hebrews 3:1, 4:14, 6:20, etc).

Zechariah 3:4 – And the angel said to those who were standing before him, "Remove the filthy garments from him." And to him he said, "Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments."

Again, the angel represents Jesus. So in this verse, we find Jesus instructing other angels to remove the filthy garments from Joshua the priest.

As we just noted, the filthy garments are representative of the sin of not only Joshua, but the entire nation of Israel. The removing of these garments denotes God's pardoning of the pubic and national sins of the Jews, as well as their restoration to his favor and protection.

Isaiah 61:10 - I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness.

So, let me ask you this – has God changed from that time to this? Of course not! We know he never changes (Malachi 3:6). This gives hope to the nation of America. If God was willing to pardon the public and national sins of Israel, he is willing to do the same for us, if we will repent and seek his face.

I have taken your iniquity away from you – Christ took Joshua's iniquity upon himself, made atonement for it and then cast it as far from him as the east is from the west (Psalms 103:12). He also removed guilt from his conscience and allowed him to know that he was pardoned (Romans 8:16). What a powerful Savior we serve!

I will clothe you with pure vestments – The new robes that Joshua received were festal robes; they were used in times of celebration and special events. These robes are costly and gorgeous. They represent Messiah's imputed righteousness.

Zechariah 3:5 – And I said, "Let them put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by.

After hearing the Lord's command to clothe him with clean garments, Zechariah asks for an added benefit – that a clean turban be placed upon Joshua's head. The Lord granted this request.

This seems rather odd on the surface, because it would only make sense that the dirty 'turban' would be replaced when the filthy garments were changed. The fact that Zechariah prayed for the turban and it was granted means there is a deeper meaning here.

The Hebrew word translated 'turban' is 'tsanph', which is not the term used for an everyday turban worn by common people. It referred to a miter or headdress worn by princely persons and kings. The same term is used in Job 29:14 and Isaiah 62:3 and it is synonymous with 'mitsnepheth', the technical word for the tiara prescribed for the high priest in the law.

What was different about the headdress of the high priest?

The turban/miter/headdress of the high priest had a golden plate fastened upon it which read "Holy to the Lord":

The engraved plate described the high priest as being 'holy to the Lord'. This reflected the fact that he was called to bear the guilt of the children of Israel. He was the only one who was authorized to bear this sign. If anyone else tried to bear it, they would die because of their sin.

So, the prayer for a clean miter to be placed upon Joshua's head was a request that he should not only be fully clean/free from sin himself, but that he should also be qualified to accomplish the expiation (sacrifice of atonement) of the sin of the Israelites.

God granted the prophet's request. This was significant to the Jews in the days of Zechariah because it proved to them that the priesthood would eventually be fully restored. They would once again be able to participate in sacrifices, celebrate the festivals and enjoy fellowship with God.

It is significant for the church as well. Because we are a generation far removed from the days of Zechariah, we can clearly see the ultimate fulfillment of this request – Jesus the Messiah, our great High Priest, came to earth to atone for our sin once and for all. As the only begotten Son of God, he was the only person qualified to undertake this task and restore fellowship between the church and Father God.

Zechariah 3:6-7 – And the angel of the Lord solemnly assured Joshua, "Thus says the Lord of Hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here."

The Lord is now going to reveal the reason why he has restored the priesthood. He is going to make some astonishing promises to his people, which will cause them to rejoice and take courage; they will be strengthened to accomplish the task set before them.

However, the very first word from the Lord is 'if'. This implies that Joshua (and the children of Israel) must make some choices. Although choosing the ways of the Lord will require courage and sacrifice, rich rewards await those who choose this path.

The same can be said of us. Each of us chooses what to do with our time, what to put into our minds, what to say with our mouths, what to do with our money, etc. Choosing the ways of the Lord still requires courage and sacrifice, and rewards still await those who follow Christ. What choices are you making?

The phrase 'walk in my ways' was commonly used in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 5:33, Joshua 22:5, I Kings 3:14, II Chronicles 6:31, etc). It refers to living life in such a way that you are obedient to the moral, ceremonial and lawful commands of God. We often refer to this as personal holiness.

The phrase 'keep my charge' refers to the faithful and honest discharge of the official duties which God gave to the high priest (Numbers 3:7).

If Joshua will do these two things, then blessings await him:

He would rule God's house and have charge of God's courts – In this case, the term 'God's house' refers to the temple and/or the Israelites. The meaning is that the high priest would lead the people in all things pertaining to the law of God. He would also preside over the temple. This included judging those who ministered in the sanctuary, overseeing the services of the temple and Holy of Holies, and keeping idolatry of all kinds out of the outer courts.

The office of the high priest (and the priesthood in general) was not in existence during the captivity. It had since been restored, but was contemptible due to the sins of the priests (especially the sin of marriage with foreign women). However, God was restoring that office to its former honor and glory; it would again be an honor for any man to hold a priestly office. This was a physical blessing.

Have right of access among those standing here – Those who were standing in this vision were the angels of heaven, who stood in the Lord's presence and ministered to him. There is no doubt that the high priest is being promised full and free spiritual access to God.

Some think he is given the right to minister before God alongside the angels. Others believe it means he has the right to pass through the ranks of angels and directly enter the presence of God to discharge his priestly duties. In either case, this is clearly a spiritual blessing.

Again, blessings (both physical and spiritual) await those who walk in God's ways and earnestly seek to fulfill the duties he has assigned to them.

Zechariah 3:8 – "Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch."

Joshua is the high priest. His friends or companions are the other priests who served in the temple. They were to be a sign of something that was to come. What was it?

As we look back on the vision, we find two major points that come to light. One is the presence of sin, which makes us guilty before God (hence, the accusations of Satan). The other is full forgiveness of this sin and restoration of fellowship with the Lord, both of which are entirely due to his mercy and grace.

The priesthood was a part God's mercy/grace, because their purpose was to make offerings for the sins of the children of Israel:

Leviticus 9:7 - And Moses said unto Aaron, Go unto the altar, and offer your sin offering, and your burnt offering, and make an atonement for yourself, and for the people: and offer the offering of the people, and make an atonement for them; as the LORD commanded.

Unfortunately, those sacrifices had to be repeated on a regular basis, for the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin (Hebrews 10:4). But that was okay for the moment, because the sacrifices, actions and duties of the priests were a sign of what was to come: The Branch.

Isaiah 11:1-4 - And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

Jeremiah 23:5-6 - Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name by which he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

(See also Isaiah 4:2, Jeremiah 33:15, Isaiah 53:2). As you already figured out, The Branch is one of the titles give to the Messiah, Jesus Christ (Jesus was of the line of David, son of Jesse).

The priests/priesthood of the old covenant was a picture or a foreshadowing of the Messiah. While that seems like common knowledge to us, this was a mind-blowing revelation to the Jews back in that day.

Jesus is the only person who has ever fully and perfectly walked in the ways of God (obeyed his commands) and kept his charge (fulfilling the duties God assigned to him). He is our perfect and permanent high priest, who only had to make one sacrifice for our sin – his own life on the cross.

As we would expect based on this vision, Jesus now rules God's house (the church), which is made up of Jews and Gentiles alike:

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.

Furthermore, Jesus has the full right of access to God the Father. He makes use of that access all the time as the mediator between God and man.

So the Jews, who were despondent over the current state of their nation, religion, and temple were filled with new hope. The priesthood, which represented forgiveness of sin and fellowship with God, was not going to perish. Though things looked grim at that moment, they had the assurance that the priesthood would continue until the promised Messiah would come.

Zechariah 3:9 – "For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I will engrave its inscription, declares the Lord of Hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day."

I have set – This verse is a further expansion of the promise of the Branch. The verse clearly indicates that it will be God himself who causes this stone to be set in place, and that this will happen in a time that was future to Joshua the high priest and Zechariah the prophet.

The stone I have set before Joshua – What stone is God talking about? Because of the context of the verse and the fact that the stone is set before the high priest, we can conclude that it has something to do with the remission of sin.

The thoughts of the men of Israel probably went immediately to the foundation stone of the rebuilt temple. But this could not be the stone God referred to, because that stone had already been set; it was not a future event. Furthermore, it had not been engraved by God and it certainly had no known connection to seven eyes!

But, as our generation knows, there was a stone which God eventually set in the earth that was connected with the remission of sin. It was prophesied by Isaiah:

Isaiah 28:16 - Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation: he that believes shall not be in haste.

Despite the prophesies of Isaiah and Zechariah, that corner stone would end up being rejected by the Jewish priests many years later (Psalms 118:22, Matthew 21:42).

Nevertheless, Jesus Christ was and is that stone. The foundation of the church rests upon him – a tried stone, a precious corner stone:

Ephesians 2:20-21 - And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone; In whom all the building fitly framed together grows unto a holy temple in the Lord:

Seven eyes – Scripture makes multiple references to the eyes of God. Zechariah makes mention of God's seven eyes which run to and fro on the earth (4:10). In the New Testament prophesy of Revelation, the apostle John also makes mention of the eyes of God:

Revelation 5:6 - And I [John] beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

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 and understanding, the seven eyes are also an analogy for the sevenfold Spirit of God, which rested upon Christ without measure (John 3:34). We are also told that the fullness of the Godhead dwelt in Jesus (Colossians 2:9).

In other words, as individual believers, we may have one or even two spiritual gifts operating in our lives (word of knowledge, discernment of spirits, gifts of healing, etc), but ALL of these workings of Holy Spirit were at work in the lift of Christ without measure.

Engraved inscription – We know that the engraving has something to do with the costly and magnificent cornerstone. However, the exact words of the engraving and its ultimate meaning have not been revealed to us.

Nevertheless, some scholars believe the 'engraving' upon the stone are the five marks of crucifixion which Christ still bears upon his resurrected body. To those of us forgiven of sin, what marks could be more glorious or precious?

Remove the iniquity of this land in a single day – These words meant only one thing to the priests and people of ancient Israel - the Day of Atonement. This was the one day each year when the high priest entered the Holy of Holies to sprinkle blood upon the Mercy Seat of the ark. By doing so, the priest was able to make atonement for the sins of the people for a full year.

Although the children of Israel didn't fully understand this like we now do, the reference to removing sin in a single day referred to the day that Jesus died.

Zechariah 3:10 – "In that day, declares the Lord of Hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his fine and under his fig tree."

'That day' can certainly refer to a specific 24-hour period of time. But it can also refer to a future era or dispensation of time. In this case, 'that day', is the era when The Branch would make a final atonement for sin. We refer to it as the gospel dispensation.

'Every man under his vine and fig tree' - This was a term used by the ancient Jews to describe a state of great peace and prosperity (I Kings 4:25, Micah 4:4). The act of enjoying leisurely fellowship with your neighbor indicates a lack of fear, anxiety or dread of imminent danger.

In the natural realm, it reflects a time of fellowship and joy between Jewish people who are no longer under the oppression of others.

In the spiritual realm, it reflects a time when people share the good news of the gospel with others. Christians abide in Christ and enjoy a fruitful and meaningful life; it is their greatest joy and pleasure to bring others into the family of God where they too can rest in their salvation without fear, anxiety or a dread of eternal damnation.

So, what can we conclude about the fourth vision of Zechariah?

Obviously, this vision (#4) is closely connected with the last vision. In the third vision, God had declared that he would again dwell in the midst of his people, protecting them and visiting them with blessings.

But in order to enjoy that kind of fellowship with him, the people must be purified; sin must be removed. To that end, God was reestablishing the priesthood to train the people in the ways of righteousness, and to intercede on their behalf before God's throne. The high priest was once again empowered to offer atonement for the sin of the nation once a year.

The ultimate fulfillment of this promise occurred when the Messiah, Jesus Christ, came to earth to become our high priest. He offered a single, eternal sacrifice for sin – himself. Thus, the impurity of sin has been removed from the human race and Satan no longer has any grounds on which to accuse us before God. Hallelujah!

Let me offer you some encouragement:

In Zechariah's vision, we saw a picture of Joshua as the high priest, the one who stood in the gap between God and man. Part of his ceremonial clothing was a miter or turban with a golden plaque that read 'Holy to the Lord'.

According to the New Testament, all Christians in the age of grace are also priests before God:

1 Peter 2:5 -You also, as living stones, are built up into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

As such, it is our honor to be a 'living stone' or a part of the church of Jesus Christ. Our greatest privilege is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with those who are lost and dying in the kingdom of darkness.

So be encouraged with this thought: You are not perfect. You will make mistakes. You may 'strike out' sometimes, but when God looks down upon you, he sees you as 'Holy to the Lord'!

He has equipped and empowered you with Holy Spirit who will aid you in the fulfillment of your heavenly calling. So keep on witnessing; keep on praising his name, keep on spreading the gospel message far and wide and let Holy Spirit worry about the results!

Let me offer you some relief:

I believe that Satan still comes before the throne of God, requesting to try your faith (Luke 22:31) or to accuse you before God (Job 2:1-5).

If that concerns you, let me offer you some relief: Jesus is our faithful high priest who constantly stands before the Father and makes intercession for us. Jesus promptly opposed the accusations of Satan against Joshua and he will do the same for us.

Furthermore, he has promised that we will never be tempted beyond our limits. In fact, with every temptation God provides a door of escape for us to walk through (I Corinthians 10:13).

Let me offer you some strength:

The children of Israel were so caught up in the despair of their current situation that they lost sight of the eternal plans of God. They had forgotten the ancient promises that God made to Abraham: that the Jews would dwell in the land, that they would be as numerous as the stars in the sky and that they would be a blessing to all the nations of the earth.

In their minds, sin and mistakes had cut them off from these promises. However, that was not the case. God was still watching over his promises to make sure that none of them failed.

The vision of Zechariah shows that God is still in control of our lives too. Things that we cannot accomplish in our own wisdom and strength are still possible through him. All we need to do is trust in him and fellowship with him, while walking in his ways and keeping his commands to the best of our ability.

Zechariah, Chapter 2, Part 2

Zechariah 2:6-7 – Up! Up! Flee from the land of the north, declares the Lord. For I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens, declares the Lord. Up! Escape to Zion, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.

The first five verses of chapter two gave us the details of Zechariah's third vision. As you recall, the vision was of an angel who was sent to measure the width and length of Jerusalem, in a future time.

In that future state, God's people would be greatly multiplied; they would overflow and expand beyond the walls/boundaries of Jerusalem. Despite the fact that there were no walls which could contain them, they would be safe and secure because God would be a wall of defense and a ring of fire that would repel all of their enemies. In addition, God would dwell in their midst, blessing them with every good thing.

The remainder of this chapter is not technically included within the vision. However, it is a prophetic word tied directly to the third vision. Let's examine this message more closely.

First, we need to reacquaint ourselves with some of the history of the Jews so we can better understand this prophetic word.

God had decreed a 70-year period of captivity for his people. Obviously, this caused the Jews a lot of distress. But God used the prophet Jeremiah to give a word of comfort and instruction to the displaced captives:

Jeremiah 29:5-7 - Build you houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; Take yourself wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that you may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in its peace shall you have peace.

In other words, God instructed the Jews of the captivity to settle into Babylon. They were to build houses, have children, earn money and seek peace wherever they settled. The Jews did exactly that – they firmly established themselves in Babylon where they lived in peace and became rich.

Then, at the end of the 70-year captivity, God opened a door for the Jews to return to the Promised Land and it capital, Jerusalem. Many people such as Ezra, Nehemiah, Joshua the priest, Zerubbabel, and others gladly took the opportunity to return to their native land (Jeremiah 3:18).

However, most of the Jewish population chose to remain in Babylon. They had no interest in exchanging their present prosperity for the hardships and doubtful future which their desolate homeland promised to provide.

That was a problem - a big problem! The refusal of the Jews to return home was a reflection of the attitude of their heart towards God.

In essence, they despised their inheritance and birthright. They had no desire to join their fellow Jews in rebuilding the temple and re-establishing fellowship with God. Thus, the majority of the Jews turned up their noses at the favor of God.

Up! Up! - Now we can better understand the phrase 'Up! Up!' It is an emphatic command for the Jews to stir themselves up to action. The command precedes a warning for the remaining Jews to flee Babylon.

Flee from the land of the north – There is no ambiguity regarding the identity of the land to the north – it refers to the Babylonian empire, with Babylon as its capital (Jeremiah 1:14-1, Jeremiah 23:8, Isaiah 48:20, etc).

The order to flee from Babylon implies that war or peril will shortly come upon that empire (and it did in the fourth year of Darius; just two years after this prophesy was given to Zechariah). Any Jews that remained in the land would suffer the same fate as the Babylonians. Thus we see that God, in his great mercy, is warning his indifferent and unthankful people to flee to safety.

The command to flee from the land of the north also has spiritual implications. The people of Babylon represent the pagan world. God's people were forced to live among them, but at the same time they were to be separate. They were to conduct their lives in accordance with the principles and laws of the covenant. They were not to marry foreign women or serve their gods. They were to love the Lord with all of their hearts, minds and strength. They were to worship him alone. In essence, they were not to pollute themselves with the sins of the Babylonians.

Any person who chose Babylon (the world) over Jerusalem (the kingdom of heaven) would face the same consequences as the Babylonians.

The New Testament warns Christians against falling into the same trap.

2 Corinthians 6:17 - Therefore come out from among them, and be you separate, says the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

(See also Revelation 18:4). Clearly, we live in the world and rub shoulders with sinful people every day. God ordained that life should be that way, so that we would have ample opportunities to spread the gospel message and add to the increase of his kingdom.

But in order to effectively do that, we MUST be different from the world. We must love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. We must love those of the world as we love ourselves. We must love sinners but at the same time we must hate their sin. We must keep ourselves holy:

1 Peter 1:16 - Because it is written, You will be holy; for I am holy.

We must live our lives according to the principles of righteousness set forth in the scriptures. Those who embrace the world may find themselves reaping the same punishments as they do.

I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens – This particular phrase has been interpreted in different ways. The differences largely occur based on whether the verb for 'spread' is past tense or future tense. Some ancient versions of the scripture say 'have spread/scattered' while others say 'will spread/scatter'.

Have spread – If the verb is past tense, then we assume the scattering or spreading has already taken place. Therefore, the scattering refers to the captivity. In this case, God is telling the Jews that he was the one who sent them into captivity and he was the one who was more than able to gather them again and bless them in the land of their inheritance (Israel/Jerusalem). Because that was the case, they should not hesitate to return to the Promised Land.

Will spread – If the verb is future tense, then we assume the spreading/scattering had not yet taken place at the time of Zechariah's third vision. If that is the case, when did (or would) this prophetic word take place?

Some point to the future wide spread dispersion of the Jews which was evident during the time of Queen Esther. During her reign (60 years after Zechariah's prophesy), the Jews were known to have settled into 127 of the provinces of the Persian Empire. Their presence extended from India to Ethiopia (Esther 1:1, 3:8, 8:5-9). It could easily be said that they had been scattered to the 'four winds' – north, south, east and west.

In this case, God's message to the Jews was that he did not want them to remain concentrated in Babylon, because they would end up suffering the same judgments as that sinful nation. Instead, they are encouraged to flee because God was determined to bless them, and spread them in all directions to be his witnesses throughout the known world.

Up! Escape to Zion, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon – This is a reiteration of what God just said. Whenever God speaks, we need to listen because his instructions are important.

When he says the same thing twice, we must drop everything we are doing and immediately take action on his instructions. Any delay could be catastrophic for us.

Therefore, if the Jews had any sense at all, they would have immediately sold their homes, packed up their belongings, and left Babylon!

Zechariah 2:8 – For thus said the Lord of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye:

For thus says the Lord of Hosts – Who is speaking these words to the prophet? If we consider the context of this passage of scripture, the identity of the speaker in verse eight is none other than Jesus.

After his (the) glory he has sent me – In the original manuscripts, there is no article in the phrase 'after his glory' (your translation may say 'after the glory'). Thus, the actual English translation simply says 'after glory'. This has opened up a lot of dispute as to the meaning of the phrase.

One interpretation says that 'after his/the glory' refers to the favor God shows to those who will receive it. For instance, eight people accepted the favor of God on their lives when they agreed to enter the ark. Thereafter, the flood came and the rest of the world was punished with death.

In this particular case, the 'after his/the glory' would refer to the window of favor/opportunity that God gave the Jews to leave Babylon and return to the Promised Land. Thereafter, judgment was going to fall on Babylon and anyone who stayed in her midst.

A second interpretation says that 'after his/the glory' is referring to the glory of the nations who had plundered Israel. Those who interpret the phrase this way believe it says that, though the enemies of Israel have triumphed for a time, their glory is coming to an end. God will send his messenger, Jesus, to effect a change and soon those who have spoiled Israel will become her prey.

A third view says that 'after his/the glory' should have been translated 'He that dwells in the glory has sent me' or 'He that dwells in the pillar of light has sent me'. It refers back to the pillar of fire and cloud that led the Israelites through the wilderness. Those who hold this view maintain that the glory refers to God the Father who is full of tender, paternal care for his children. God will protect and guard those who love him from harm, just as he protected Israel in the wilderness.

The last interpretation that we will mention here says that 'after his/the glory' should be interpreted as 'afterwards the glory' which refers to the time when God sends Christ to the nations. This theory says that after God's people are brought out of spiritual Babylon and converted and after the fullness of the Gentiles shall be brought into his kingdom, there will be a time of great glory (Romans 11). At the same time, we will see the fall and destruction of the antichrist and his kingdom.

Specifically, this theory looks forward in time to when the anti-Christian nations which persecuted and wasted the people of God will be subject to the vengeance of the Lamb of God. In that day, Jesus will destroy the antichrist with the breath of his mouth and the brightness of his coming (Revelation 19:11-16). This will happen during the tribulation period.

Apple of his eye – This phrase describes how God feels about his people; they are near and dear to his heart and closely united with him. God will consider any injury or insult done to them as an injury or insult to himself and he will act accordingly.

I would just like to mention once again that Old Testament prophesy often has more than one level or time of fulfillment. Thus, more than one of these interpretations may be true or may yet come to pass.

Overall, I think it is safe to say something like this:

God's people are very, very precious in his sight. God has promised to be the glory that dwells among them. Therefore, he commands those who are still in Babylon (the world) to return to Jerusalem/the Promised Land (the place of fellowship with him. God is going to take care of his people and to that effect he is going to send his Son as judge of the nations who persecute the Jews/his children.

The message that Jesus conveys to the heathen nations is that they should cease persecuting the Jews/God's people and instead join them in becoming part of the kingdom of God, where they can enjoy the same glory and safety of God that Israel enjoys. Should they refuse, they need to understand that any violence or injury perpetrated against Israel is a violation/injury against God himself. All such aggression will be judged and punished as an offense done to God.

This somewhat generalized interpretation is true in a literal, physical sense (something that happened on earth). It is also true in a spiritual sense (it reflects the spiritual nature of the kingdom of God).

Zechariah 2:9 – "Behold, I will shake my hand over them, and they shall become plunder for those who served them. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me."

Behold, I will shake my hand over them - Christ now continues to declare the commands of his Father. Specifically, he says that no matter how numerous or strong the enemies of the Jews may be, the Jews would still be safe because they are protected. God would exert his power on Israel's behalf, inflicting punishment and destruction on Israel's enemies by the mere shaking of his hand.

They shall become plunder for those who served them – Specifically, the plans of Israel's enemies would be in vain, for the Lord would make their nation fall and become servants of another kingdom. Thus, Persia (under Darius) came in and spoiled Babylon, making her the servant of Persia instead of her master.

Then you will know the Lord of Hosts has sent me – If we look at this verse in the natural realm, then the destruction of Babylon by Darius will be proof that God had given this prophesy to Zechariah.

If we look at this prophesy in a spiritual sense, then the conversion of Jews and Gentiles into the kingdom of heaven will be proof that Jesus is the Son of God, and that he was sent into the world by the Father to be the sacrifice for our sin.

Zechariah 2:10 – "Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord."

God's people are instructed by the prophet to sing and rejoice. The reason for this joyful celebration is that God is coming to dwell in their midst. Although this certainly applied to the second temple built by the Jews after the return from captivity (Haggai 2:5-9), almost all commentators believe this is also a Messianic reference.

Thus, one fulfillment of this prophesy came during the incarnation:

John 1:14 - And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

(See also I Timothy 3:16, Colossians 2:8-9, etc). There was another fulfillment after the resurrection, when Holy Spirit came to dwell in the heart of every believer (II Corinthians 6:16), and the church was born. Salvation is a great cause of joy for every Christian!

A future fulfillment of this prophesy is also still on the horizon. It will come when God's people are called upon to sing and rejoice at the destruction of the antichrist and his kingdom.

Revelation 18:20-21 - Rejoice over her, you heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets; for God has avenged you on her. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

(See also Ezekiel 37:26-28, Zephaniah 3:14-15).

Zechariah 2:11 – "And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you."

Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day - This verse is universally accepted to be Messianic as no nations or people groups ever became converts to the Jewish religion. However, it is clear that whole nations and people groups have embraced faith in Christ through the gospel message.

And shall be my people – In other words, those who had never professed to belong to God and those who were never before known to be children of God, will now openly become followers of Christ:

1 Peter 2:10 – [Gentiles] who in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

As children of God Gentiles will love, fear, worship and obey Christ. They will be his witnesses to the unsaved world; seeking to bring others into the same kingdom they inhabit.

I will dwell in your midst – In other words, Jesus will dwell in the midst of the church in the person of Holy Spirit.

Matthew 18:20 - For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

And you shall know that the Lord of Hosts has sent me to you – In this case, 'you' refers to all the children of God, both Jews and Gentiles. Their salvation in Christ is the proof that God sent Jesus to the world as our Messiah and Redeemer.

Zechariah 2:12 – "And the Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem."

This verse brings us full circle to the beginning of Zechariah's third vision.

Israel's identity as God's chosen people was manifested in their occupation of the Promised Land, their temple sacrifices and worship, their festivals and the keeping of the law.

However, God had (for a time) cast them out of the land. Furthermore, he allowed Solomon's temple to be burnt and razed, which destroyed the means of fellowship between the Jews and himself.

It would be natural for the Jews to conclude that they had been rejected by God. However, as we know, God never rejected his people; he was just disciplining them. This was evident in the fact that he had recently opened a door of opportunity for the Jews to return to Jerusalem.

The third vision of Zechariah reveals that God fully intended to restore Israel to her former state – she would once again live in the Land, once again worship and fellowship at the temple and once again rejoice at the yearly festivals.

And, in fact, her latter glory would be greater than the former; the walls of Jerusalem would not be able to contain the vast multitudes of people, cattle and blessings. This was a foreshadowing of the time when the Gentiles would join the Jews and together they would meld into one united body of Christ.

In other words, God had NOT forgotten or cast off the Jews. They were still his peculiar people, which he set aside as his own. Even though they were mixed with the other nations for a time, God was going to once again gather them to himself.

So when the Lord declares that he will inherit Judah and again choose Jerusalem, this is not a new promise – it is a reminder of the covenant that he had already made with them. That covenant was never void; it would reach its ultimate fulfillment at the appointed time.

This was the word of encouragement that God was giving to his people in Zechariah's day. Because of these wonderful promises, God's people should rejoice and once again be diligent to do all that God had commanded them.

Zechariah 2:13 – Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.

Children of God are willingly silent before God. We do this as we endeavor to hear him speak, to worship before him, or to ascertain his commands. When we are silent before God, we are prepared to humbly submit to his will.

However, that is not the silence that is being mentioned by the prophet. In this case, he speaks to the silence or submission of the wicked before God. The ungodly have consistently raged and railed against God and his people for years. But at the appointed time, God will arise and deliver his church.

At that time, all those who opposed the church will be forced into silence; they will tremble before the glory, majesty and power of God. They will experience fear, awe and astonishment as they see him move on behalf of his people. At that time, they will dare not open their mouths in his presence.

Habakkuk 2:20 - But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.

Let me offer you some encouragement:

In the third vision of Zechariah, we find that God sent an angel to measure the length and width of Jerusalem – in the future.

The point I want to make here is that God knows the end from the beginning; since time is in his hand, he already knows the outcome of everything. Although he sees you exactly as you are today, he also sees what you will become in the future as you grow and mature in him.

So let me offer you this encouragement: You are not yet what you will become. God has lots of victories, miracles and good things in store for your future. Don't ever let go of the promises you are claiming. Don't ever think your usefulness is over. Don't ever stop repenting and growing in your walk with Christ, because goodness, blessing and joy are in your future, just as they were (and are) for the Jews and the church.

Let me offer you some relief and some strength:

The Jews made plenty of mistakes. They allowed the things of this world to get a foothold in their lives, and the end result was that they were removed from the Promised Land. As a result, they believed that God had completely cast them off; they believed there was no hope for them as individuals or as a nation.

But that was a lie of the enemy! It's true that they needed (and received) correction, but that correction was for their good.

Hebrews 12:11-13 - Now no chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them who are trained by it. Therefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

The truth is that God's plans for Israel were not thwarted or destroyed by the enemy; God is infinitely smarter and greater than Satan. God gave his people a word of hope that his plans for them would still come to pass and these plans would be much, much greater and more widespread than the Jews could conceive.

But they had a part to play. They had to change their ways. They had to cast off despair, and choose to rejoice (see verse 10). They had to pick up their tools and return to building the temple and the walls.

Likewise, you may have made mistakes in your life. Satan may be trying to tell you that all hope is gone and that you have made such a mess God doesn't want you anymore. Nothing could be further from the truth!

God's love for you can never diminish. His plans for you can never be destroyed by the enemy. If you will turn to him now in repentance and humility, he will give you beauty for ashes (Isaiah 61:3). If you begin to rejoice in him and pick up your tools (your talents and gifts), God will fulfill his call on your life in a way that is much, much greater than you could ever imagine!

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SHOWERS

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Zechariah, Chapter 6, Part 1

Zechariah, Chapter 5, Part 2

Zechariah, Chapter 5, Part 1

Zechariah, Chapter 4, Part 2

Zechariah, Chapter 4, Part 1

Zechariah, Chapter 3

Zechariah, Chapter 2, Part 2

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