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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Answer: Prophets, priests, and kings.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Therefore, it becomes clear that the work of God on earth is accomplished through a partnership between men/women and Holy Spirit.

This was clearly the case for the Jewish governor Zerubbabel, who was given the following word of comfort from God through Zechariah:

Who are you, O great mountain–In this vision, the mountain represents Satan along with all his followers and all their evil schemes.  Just as a mountain rises above the surrounding land, Satan tries to exalt himself over God and all that God has created (man and the earth). He attempts to create obstacles/strong holds and opposition to the work of the Lord.

During the time of Zechariah, Satan was working full-time through Sanballat and his companions who actively opposed the rebuilding of the temple.  They fought through legal means, use of force, threats and even compromise. 

Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain - However, all the efforts of Satan and his servants are in vain, for the Spirit of the Lord works through the people of God to assure victory.  The obstacles or 'mountains' they have put up against the work of the Lord will be made as flat and smooth as a plain:

Isaiah 40:4-5 - Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places smooth: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD has spoken it.

The same concept is confirmed in the New Testament. The apostle Paul tells us that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down everything that exalts itself against God (II Corinthians 10:4-5). In other words, when we fight in the spiritual realm through prayer, fasting, and declarations of the word, Holy Spirit will flatten the plans of the enemy like a pancake!

And he shall bring forward the top stone– This statement refers to the partially finished temple.  Work on the structure ceased after the foundation was laid; humanly speaking completion of the building was by no means certain.  The Jews were out of hope, out of resources and out of commission due to legal wrangling.

But God gave a sure word to Zechariah that the temple most certainly would be finished.  This was not just some far off promise; it would be done in their generation through Zerubbabel, who had started the project.

Amid shouts of grace, grace to it! – The work would be covered with 'grace upon grace'. In other words, God's favor rested upon this project. The building of the temple was not an end, but the beginning of the new work that God was going to complete through his people. This work would culminate when Jesus the Messiah came through the Jewish line to fulfill the Old Testament rites of the temple.(Little did the men of Zechariah's day know, but one day the Messiah would preach in the very temple they were building!)

Satan's plans were thwarted back in the day of Zechariah, but he didn't give up.

Think back to the time after the resurrection of Christ. The book of Acts is very clear that Satan worked through the religious leaders of that day to oppose the gospel message. They raised mountains of opposition against the apostles and other believers through legal means, use of force, threats and even attempts at compromise. But once again, Satan was defeated. The eternal, unseen, spiritual church of God was laid upon the foundation of the cross. Hallelujah!

Now, in the age of grace, we continue to build the church of God.  We can expect Satan to continue opposing us, just as he always has.  But we can rest assured that God is just as capable of turning mountains into plains today as he was in Zechariah's generation.  No matter how violently the wicked rage against Christians and our message, their schemes will be frustrated when God suddenly reduces them to nothing.

And one day, in the fullness of time, Jesus himself will return to earth and gather us into his eternal kingdom! As the old hymn says, 'What a glorious day that will be'!

Zechariah 4:8-9 – And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it.  Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you."

Here we find yet another promise that God's plans were coming to fruition.  Everyone knew/acknowledged that the foundations of the temple had been laid under the leadership of Zerubbabel, but many believed the building would never be finished, due to the opposition by Satan.  As despair and hopelessness began to overtake the Jews, God stepped in and declared (twice) that the temple would be finished, and it would be done by none other than Zerubbabel himself.

Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you - There are two kinds of knowledge. The first kind is knowledge by faith. This occurs when we read the promises of God and believe them, even though we haven't yet seen their fulfillment.

For instance, scripture tells us that one day the trumpet of God will sound, the dead in Christ shall rise, and all living Christians will join Jesus in the air. Together, he will take us to his Father's house. We refer to this event as the Rapture (I Thessalonians 4).

Your knowledge of the rapture is faith-based.  Even though it hasn't happened yet, you believe in it because you read about it in the bible, and you know God never breaks a promise. 

The second kind of knowledge is knowledge by experience. This kind of knowledge is apparent to all because God gives an immediate and public fulfillment of the promise. It is a sure proof that God has not spoken in vain; he has kept his word.

In the present case, God is saying that the people of Zechariah's day will know that God has spoken the promise of a completed temple, because they will live to see that promise fulfilled.

Zechariah 4:10 – "For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.  These seven are the eyes of the LORD, which range through the whole earth." 

Despised the day of small things – This is a specific reference to the second temple.  It would soon be completed, just as God declared.  And when it was, it was a huge disappointment to a lot of people.

As we might expect, the enemies of Israel despised the temple, because it represented their failure.  Despite all of their schemes, God empowered the Jews with his Spirit and they completed the structure.

But did you know that many of the Jews also despised the building?

Ezra 3:12 -But many of the priests and Levites and heads of the fathers' houses, who were old men, who had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice;

Haggai 2:3 -Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? And how do you see it now? Is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?

Many of the Jews who returned to Israel were deeply distressed and very disappointed in the second temple.  This group mostly consisted of older men who had lived long enough to remember the glory and opulence of Solomon's temple.  They despised the new structure because it was relatively small, plain, and simple.  (They fell into the trap of comparing it to the work of another.  Let the reader beware.)

But God himself was pleased with this second temple and he was very adamant that the Jews should not look upon it with disappointment. The issue was one of perspective - the Jews thought they were looking at the end result of their efforts, but God considered the second temple a starting point.

Remember, it was God's plan for the Jews to be a witness of his love that would draw all nations to himself (Genesis 26:4).  That would only be accomplished after the sacrifice of Christ, when Jews and Gentiles alike became members of the family of God through the gift of salvation. 

Little did the Jews of Zechariah's day know, the second temple (which disappointed them), was the very structure where God himself, in the flesh, would one day stand and deliver the gospel message!  That message has exploded throughout the world ever since; God's kingdom is still expanding even today!

Haggai 2:9 -The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, says the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, says the LORD of hosts.

The Jews thought the temple was the place of fellowship between them and God (which it was, during their day).  However, they could not even begin to imagine how big God's ultimate plan was.  Their wildest dreams fell far, far short of the reality God brought to pass – an open invitation for every man, woman and child (Jew or Gentile) to enter the kingdom of heaven and dwell forever in the presence of God!

That was the true significance of the second temple, which they despised!

Never make the mistake of despising any ministry that God has instituted (including your own).

At best, you can only perceive that ministry's influence at a particular moment in time (which is what the Jews of Zachariah's day were doing). You can't see what God will ultimately bring about with that small beginning. You cannot see, understand, or predict how far it will spread, how many people it will touch, or how far it will extend into the future after you are gone.

Consider these examples:  God raised Joseph from prison, David from the sheepfold, Daniel from slavery and Gideon from the winepress (just to name a few).  They started with humble beginnings, but their lives/ministries still touch people today. 

And that's not all. God converted the world by using fishermen, tax collectors and tent makers! So don't put God in a box. Don't presume to judge or decide what God can or cannot do with the work he has given YOU to do, or the testimony you share with the world.

Here are a couple of other tips for ministry:

• Don't compare your ministry to that of others. God has called you to fill in unique role in the world, so your ministry will be unique as well.

• Don't delay or be slothful in your spiritual work. Instead, diligently and joyfully be about the Father's business. You have been anointed with the Spirit, so go in his power and complete the project. Let God worry about what he is going to accomplish with it!

These seven are the eyes of the Lord which run to and fro through the whole earth – We have already discussed the significance of this phrase, because it appeared in Zechariah's fourth vision (Zechariah 3:9).

To reiterate, the seven-eye description can only apply to Jesus Christ; he alone is a living being of manifold intelligence who possesses universal perception, insight and understanding.  With such divine sight, he surveys and provides for the well-being of the whole church. 

Besides representing divine insight/understanding, the seven eyes are also an analogy for the sevenfold Spirit of God, which rested upon Christ without measure (John 3:34). 

So, the meaning here is much the same as it was in the fourth vision – God sees and knows all things; nothing is hidden from his sight.  

By his Spirit, he would empower the Jews to finish the task set before them.  Because of God's watchful eye, all the plans of Satan would ultimately be frustrated and stopped.    In other words, God was watching over the work of the Jews and as long as they moved forward in faith and did not give up, victory was assured.

• What implications does this vision have for the church today?

• What is God calling your individual church to do for him?

• How does this vision bring hope to you in your ministry or vocation in life?

Ecclesiastes 9:10 -Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, where you go.

Whatever your calling may be, don't consider it trifling or insignificant, because you don't know what God is going to do with it.  Only he can see the end from the beginning.  Whatever you do for the Lord, do it now, and do it with all your might!

Zechariah 4:11-12 – Then I said to him, "What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lamp stand?"And a second time I answered and said to him, "What are these two branches of the olive trees, which are beside the two golden pipes from which the golden oil is poured out?"

As the meaning of the vision is being made plain to Zechariah, there are still one or two points that are not yet clear to him, and he naturally asks follow-up questions.

In particular, he asks about the two trees (one on each side of the lamp stand) and the golden pipes through which the oil flows.

It is obvious that they are tied to the overall meaning of the vision - God was going to empower his people with his Spirit in order for them to accomplish the task he has assigned to them – but what exactly did they represent? 

Zechariah 4:13-14 – He said to me, "Do you not know what these are?"  I said, "No, my lord."Then he said, "These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth."

In response to his question, Zechariah is told that the two trees represent 'two anointed ones' who stand by the Lord.  The literal translation is two 'sons of oil'.

The picture here is that of a Master or Lord seated in a place of power, who has two of his trusted, valuable servants standing at his sides, ready to perform his will.

Not surprisingly, bible commentators have given different interpretations to the two 'sons of oil'.

To begin with, the sons of oil are identified as Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest (who we saw in the last vision). They are the leaders of Israel, who have been placed in authority by God. They themselves have been anointed by God for their specific duties and clearly the anointing of Holy Spirit flowed through them to fill the lamp of Israel with the power to carry out God's work (building the temple). All scholars agree that this is one correct interpretation of the two sons of oil.

However, if we consider not just these specific individuals, but the offices they represent, we can see a bigger picture of what God is doing.

As you know, Joshua was the high priest and Zerubbabel was the civil authority of that day. Therefore, the two trees may very well symbolize spiritual and civil offices/leadership. When these leaders were dedicated to the work of God, God did great things through them. If we look back in the history of the Jews, we find this was often the case.

For example, during the time of the exodus, Moses was the civil authority and Aaron his brother was the high priest.  Together, they were God's anointed leaders who led Israel out of captivity and to the gates of the Promised Land.

Another example would be when Daniel (as civil ruler) was paired with Ezekiel (as priest) during the time of the Babylonian captivity.  Together, they guided Israel through the time of hardship during the captivity.

In other interpretations, Peter and Paul are also identified as fitting into the mold of the two trees, because they were God's chosen vessels to speak to both Jews and Gentiles. At the same time, some scholars believe the two trees are Jews and Christians who together make up the church.

Still others believe the two trees represent the Law and the Gospel. Through the Law and the Gospel, apostles, prophets, and teachers of every age illuminate the hearts and minds of God's followers. Their work is done through the power of Holy Spirit and the end result of their work is that the anointing of God flows to the entire church (the lamp stand) which then shines the light of the gospel to sinners who dwell in spiritual darkness.

Another interpretation says that both trees ultimately refer to Christ; they represent his two offices of King and Priest.  Through him the anointing of Holy Spirit flows to the church equipping and empowering her to fulfill the role God has designed for her.

Regardless of which interpretation you believe is correct, one thing is sure:

God has equipped the church for her mission through the power and anointing of Holy Spirit.  When we partner with the Spirit, nothing is impossible!

Let me offer you some encouragement:

As we consider the visions, we cannot help but notice that in every single case, Zechariah lacks understanding of what he has seen.� However, as he humbly asks for wisdom and understanding, it is given to him.

So, as you read your bible, I encourage you to be inquisitive.  Think about the situations presented.  Consider the things that are said and even the things that are NOT said.  If you have a question that needs an answer, seek the help of Holy Spirit.  He is the Spirit of truth, and he will guide you to the answer you seek.

John 16:13 -But when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. 

 

Let me offer you some relief:

Have you been trying to steward your ministry in your own strength? If so, you are probably experiencing frustration, difficulty and lack.  Results are minimal (if they exist at all).

But there is help for your situation!  As we saw in today's post, God never intended for you to fulfill the calling on your life without help.  In fact, it would be impossible to do so!

If you want to find some relief, then enter your prayer closet and repent for trying to get along without the help of Holy Spirit. Then ask him to anoint and empower you for your ministry.

 

Let me offer you some strength:

Victory for the believer ultimately lies in a partnership between God and man. 

Zerubbabel was tasked with rebuilding the temple.  This was an enormous undertaking, and it had a lot of opposition.  In fact, the difficulties rose up before Zerubbabel like an unending mountain range!

But great as these mountains of difficulty were, God assured Zerubbabel that he possessed resources that were more than equal to the task. Though Zerubbabel's efforts seemed feeble, success was inevitable when the work was anointed with the power of Holy Spirit.

The same can be true of both individual believers and the church of Jesus Christ. The church has an immense task before her – to spread the gospel throughout the world and to disciple all nations.

Though our efforts seem almost futile at times, if we follow the direction of Holy Spirit, our victory is assured. Amen!

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Zechariah 4:1 – And the angel who talked with me came again and woke me, like a man who is awakened out of his sleep.

Hello again, dear readers! Here we are presented with the fifth vision of Zechariah.  Of his eight visions, this one is perhaps the best known.  It was and continues to be of immense comfort to God's people.

We know that all the visions came to Zechariah on the same night, which means that he can't be getting much sleep.  For this reason, we may be tempted to assume that when the assisting angel came to him with the fifth vision, he needed to be awakened from slumber.

However, careful consideration will show that this is not the case.  He was stirred up 'LIKE' a man who is awakened out of sleep. 

In other words, Zechariah was either in a prophetic trance or possibly an intellectual stupor; he was overcome with astonishment/amazement because of the deep spiritual wisdom and insights that God was pouring into him.

If we stop to consider the situation, this makes perfect sense. The content and implications of just one vision were enough to make anyone's head swim. To have multiple visions in such a short span of time was mind-blowing. No wonder he needed to be awakened or roused for the next vision!

Zechariah 4:2-3 – And he said to me, "What do you see?" I said, "I see, and behold, a lamp stand all of gold, with a bowl on top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on top of it.  And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left."

In this vision the prophet sees a seven-branched lamp stand made entirely of gold.  Does that sound vaguely familiar to you?

It should – Zechariah's vision is a variation of the lamp stand that was found in the Holy Place of the tabernacle:

Exodus 25:31-32 -And you shall make a lamp stand of pure gold: of hammered work shall the lamp stand be made: its shaft, and its branches, its bowls, its knobs, and its flowers, shall be of the same one piece.  And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the lamp stand out of one side, and three branches of the lamp stand out of the other side:

Exodus 25:37 - And you shall make its seven lamps: and they shall light its lamps, that they may give light in front of it.

A full description of the lamp stand can be found in Exodus 25:31-40, Exodus 37:17-24 and Numbers 8:1-4. 

So,  what do we know about the lamp stand?

• It was made from a lump of pure gold weighing one talent.

• It was formed by beating the gold with a hammer (as opposed to melting the gold and pouring it into a mold).

• According to Jewish tradition, the lamp stand measured 3 cubits (4 feet) in height.

• From the base there arose a central shaft with three branches on the left, three branches on the right and a single branch in the center.

• A lamp sat upon the top of each branch, resulting in a total of seven lamps.

• Each branch or arm of the lamp stand was designed to represent a flowering and fruit bearing almond branch.

• The lamp was designed to use oil for fuel, with a wick for each of the seven flames.

 

Tradition depicts the lamps as being all on the same level, however, this is not certain. Many scholars feel that the seven lamps were stepped, with the single center lamp rising above those on the sides.

During the era of the tabernacle, the lamp was kept lit unless Israel was moving.  Once Solomon's temple was built, the lamp stand was kept perpetually burning.  Each morning a priest filled the lamps with oil and trimmed the wicks.

The lamp stand stood in the Holy Place along with the table of showbread and the altar of incense.  As you recall, the Holy Place had no natural sunlight; the lamp stand was the only illumination in that room.  Therefore, the priests depended upon this light in order to complete their ministry.

As a final note, we need to mention that the Hebrew word for lamp stand is 'menorah', which means 'light holder'.  For this reason, some translations render the word as 'candlestick', but that is not accurate. Candles are never mentioned in scripture as being part of any religious worship.

While there can be no doubt that the lamp stand in Zechariah's vision was the one in the temple, it had some notable differences from the original.  These differences center on the way the lamp stand is supplied with oil.

The lamp stand in Zechariah's vision had a single bowl on top of the lamp stand with seven 'lips' or pipes (the literal translation is seven pourers). Thus, we see that the oil in the bowl constantly and consistently flows into each of the seven lamps though the seven pipes.  No such arrangement existed in the actual temple lamp stand.

Furthermore, the prophet saw two olive trees, one on each side of the lamp stand, which were continually supplying oil to the bowl which in turn filled the lamps. 

What was God showing the Jews of Zechariah's day through this vision?

Zechariah 4:4 – And I said to the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?"

Zechariah had no difficulty recognizing the olive trees and the lamp stand even with its unique variations.  When he asks the assisting angel 'what are these', he is asking what the items in the vision represent or signify.  He is asking for understanding regarding the vision.

Zechariah 4:5 – Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, "Do you not know what these are?"  I said, "No, my lord."

The assisting angel has an unusual response to the prophet's question. 

We might paraphrase the angel's response like this: "Are you serious?  You really don't understand the significance of the lamp stand and the olive trees?"

Scholars are divided on whether the angel was chastising Zechariah for his ignorance/stupidity or whether he was using the question to sharpen/focus the prophet's attention on the answer he was about to receive. 

My personal belief is that the angel was sharpening the prophet's attention.  This is based on the fact that God never chastises us for asking him for wisdom; in fact, he encourages the practice:

James 1:5 – If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

If Zechariah was being given a cue to pay attention to the meaning of the vision, then it must be significant – for ancient Israel and for us.

Zechariah 4:6 – Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts."

Now the assisting angel begins to give revelation to Zechariah. The vision of the unusual lamp stand that he has seen is a direct word from the Lord – God's plans and purposes will be accomplished not by the will or valor or resourcefulness of man, but by the power of Holy Spirit.

As you recall, at the time Zechariah received these visions Joshua was the high priest and Zerubbabel was the governor of the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem.  During this time, the Jews were destitute and bordering on hopelessness.  They felt it was impossible for them to finish the task God had set before them – to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and the temple. 

Keep in mind that to re-establish the boundaries of Jerusalem and to rebuild the temple was to restore relationship between the Jewish people and God.  Once this was done, the Jews would once again be in a position to be a light to the nations who were in spiritual darkness.  Therefore, the completion of their task had both natural and spiritual implications.

Truthfully, the Jews were correct – in the natural realm, there was very little chance of them succeeding in their undertaking.

But at this point of despair, God enters the situation and gives a message of victory and hope to the nation.  There was no reason to be anxious or afraid.  Just as the lamp stand was divinely supplied with oil by the olive trees (without the help of man), so would the temple and walls of Jerusalem be built through the power of the Spirit of God.

As we will discuss in our post next week, man still had a vital role to play in the plans of God, but regardless of man's performance, victory was assured through the Spirit. No enemy of the Lord would be able to thwart or stop God's plans.  There would be no shortage of time, funds, or resources; the Jews would have everything they needed and more.  In addition, Holy Spirit would encourage, strengthen, equip and embolden the people to finish the job. 

Thus, the project would be accomplished not by the will or strength of man, but by the Spirit of the Lord.  In this vision, God was reassuring his people that his purposes and plans for them would come to pass in their lifetime.  This was an amazing promise to the Jews of that day.

From our point of view, we can look back and see how this vision also applied to the early days of the church.

After Jesus rose from the dead, the disciples were fearful, disorganized, and unsure what to do next. The Jewish religious leaders wanted to kill them. The Romans/Gentiles were beginning to persecute them. The only resources they had were funds provided by the women who supported Christ. Most of them had very little education and some of them were outcasts from society. Yet, they had been given a mission to carry the gospel message to the ends of the earth.

Matthew 28: 19-20 – Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Let's face it – in their own power and strength, they were going to fail. But as we know, Jesus specifically instructed them not to set about their mission until they had received the baptism of Holy Spirit in their lives:

Luke 24:49 – And behold I [Jesus] am sending the promise of my Father upon you [baptism with Holy Spirit]. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.

And clearly it was Holy Spirit who made all the difference! Once they were baptized in the Spirit, the disciples of Christ were transformed from fearful, ignorant men (and women) into powerful witnesses for Christ (Acts 4:31). The mystery of the gospel was opened to their minds (John 14:26) and God worked through them to birth the church. All this was done by the power of God's Spirit; through him God's will for that generation was indeed accomplished.

 

Our generation is experiencing yet another fulfillment of this vision. 

When America was founded as a nation, our forefathers committed to continuing the mission of spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth.  However, if you look around today, it is evident that as a nation we have forsaken the Lord; we are no longer considered a Christian nation.  As a result of our sin, we are struggling to keep America from completely disintegrating.  

In the natural realm, there is absolutely no hope for us to stem the tide of evil which seeks to 'reset' America and put us on a different path – one that no longer even acknowledges (much less serves) the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 

But there is hope.  We too can be encouraged by the vision of Zechariah; nothing is impossible with God through the power of Holy Spirit! 

Let's take a closer look at what the temple lamp stand represented:

As we already noted, the lamp stand had room for seven lamps.  This was the only illumination in the Holy Place; without this light the priests could not fulfill their duties.

Spiritually speaking, the lamp stand represents the sevenfold illumination of Holy Spirit, which was revealed through Jesus Christ, the light of the world.

Revelation 4:5 - And out of the throne proceeded lightning and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. 

Without the illumination of Holy Spirit, man would never be able to clearly see his sin and accept the offer of salvation given to us by God.  After we have surrendered to Christ, Holy Spirit further illuminates the deep recesses of our lives, removing the darkness of error, immorality and sin that still lurks within our hearts. 

The Spirit also gives gifts (word of wisdom, word of knowledge, discernment of spirits, gifts of healing, gift of faith, tongues and interpretation of tongues) for the edification and empowerment of the church.  These allow us to walk in the power and might of Christ, as we continue to spread the gospel message to the uttermost parts of the world. 

The bottom line is that God's will for our nation SHALL COME TO PASS.  When we are weak, the Spirit becomes our strength.  What is impossible for us through our own wisdom, strength and resources is made possible through the power and might of Holy Spirit. 

So, no matter how dark or hopeless things look for the church today, we have the assurance of divine victory, which flows like oil through the ministry of Holy Spirit.

 

Let me offer you some encouragement:

In many ways, our generation is no different than the one of Zechariah's day.  We too face tests and trials.  We too have been commissioned by God to fulfill a task which is way, way bigger than anything we could accomplish in our own strength. 

None of this should be a surprise.  If God gave us a task which we could complete with our own resources and strength, we would certainly take all the credit for it.  By putting us in a position where we must trust in him and work hand-in-hand with Holy Spirit to gain the victory, God receives the glory that is due him.

When he is glorified, sinners are drawn to him and they have the opportunity to receive salvation.  

So don't despair when you feel that you need a miracle in your ministry – it may simply mean that you are right where God wants you to be!

 

Let me offer you some relief:

What are you lacking in your ministry?  Time? Money? Equipment? Connections? A building? Increased wisdom?  Discernment? Power/influence?   

You don't have to possess all these qualities/resources in order to accomplish the task God has given you.  You do need to make good decisions and use what you have, but rest assured that whatever you lack, Holy Spirit can supply. 

Lean into him and he will provide all that you need.

 

Let me offer you some strength:

THERE IS HOPE! There is hope for your family, hope for this nation and hope for the church. 

Our hope is not founded in our own wisdom or strength.  It is founded upon the one who created the stars, names each one and keeps them all in place.  It is founded upon the one who has created all things.  It is founded upon the one who opens blind eyes and cures all disease.  It is founded upon the one who is able to restore life to a bunch of dry bones.  It is founded upon the one who has never lost a battle and who never will!

Romans 15:13 - Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

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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":

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.

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.

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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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Zechariah 2:1-2 – And I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand!  Then I said, "Where are you going?"  And he said to me, "To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length."

 Chapter two begins with the third vision of Zechariah.  Before we take a closer look at it, let's review the first two visions.

Vision #1 – This vision showed a 'man' (Jesus) on a red horse, with an army of other horses and riders behind him.  The other riders were angels who roamed through the earth and reported that all the nations of the world were at rest.

The idea is that while Israel is suffering/struggling, her enemies are enjoying peace. We then find that Jesus cries out (intercedes) to the Father on behalf of Israel.  A promise is given that the temple, the symbol of fellowship between God and man, will be restored.

Because of God's presence among his people, Jerusalem would again overflow with earthly prosperity and spiritual blessings. The implication is that all the ruined cities of Judah would not just be restored, they would increase and spread out with an explosion of population.

This word caused hope to spring up within the hearts and minds of the Jews.  In turn, this caused them to renew their commitment to rebuilding the temple and the city.  There was a fulfillment of this vision during the time of Zechariah and most scholars believe there will be a bigger future fulfillment of it when Christ returns to earth.

Vision #2 – In this vision, Zechariah saw four horns, followed by four craftsmen. 

The horns represent nations which had (in the past) and would (in the future) bully and oppress Israel (for details on the possible identities of these nations, see our last post).  Though God allowed these nations to have dominance over Israel for a time, he was going to send 'craftsmen' or other nations to destroy/subdue the enemies of his people.

In short, God saw his people, he was very aware of their plight and he was going to act on their behalf.

Vision #3 follows the same basic pattern as the first two.

First, Zechariah sees the vision.  In this case, it is a picture of a man with a measuring line in his hand.

Second, the vision causes a question to be raised in the mind of the prophet.  In this case, he wants to know what the man is doing or measuring.

Third, in response to his question, the Lord gives answers to Zechariah through an angel who was commissioned to assist him in understanding/interpreting these visions.

The significant part of this vision is that the angel does not appear to be measuring the exact length and width of the current city.  Rather, the angel is marking out the dimensions which would be the boundaries of the city at some point in the future.

Remember, at the time of Zechariah's vision, Jerusalem had been destroyed.  All of its former glory and prosperity were gone.  God had been removed from it and it was overrun with Gentiles.  His people were on the verge of hopelessness.   

Consequently, God's vision to Zechariah tells the Jews not to despair, because their story wasn't over yet!� In essence, the third vision picks up where the second vision left off – God gives a clearer picture or a more precise indication of the future plans he has for his people.

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

This vision caused joy to rise up within the Jews of Jerusalem.  They had every reason to rejoice – God had not abandoned them; he had big plans for their future!

It should also be noted that God STILL has big plans for the Jews.  He has in no way abandoned them or replaced them with the church:

Jeremiah 31:37 - Thus says the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the descendants of Israel for all that they have done, says the LORD.

Let's be honest if God were going to cast off the Jews for being unfaithful to him, he would also need to cast off most of the church, because we are no better! But none of us need to worry about that. God is not looking for reasons to get rid of us. He is looking for reasons to bless us. He desires to work through us so that his glory and power can manifest through our lives.

As Christians, it is our honor and duty to stand for Israel and to pray for her.  God has amazing plans for her just as he does for the church.   

Zechariah 2:3-4 – And behold, the angel who talked with me came forward, and another angel came forward to meet him and said to him, "Run, say to that young man, 'Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it.'

It would seem as though the assisting angel, who was explaining the visions to Zechariah, went forward to meet another angel, who provided clarification of the vision in response to the prophet's question.

We are familiar with the assisting angel; we met him in the last two visions.  But what is the identity of the other angel who gives instructions to the assisting angel? 

We will answer that question by saying that the second angel in this vision is the same angel/man that stood among the myrtle trees and rode a red horse in vision number one. Because we identified that angel/man as Jesus, then by default the second angel in this vision (who gives orders to the assisting angel) would also be Jesus

Consequently, if you believe the 'man' in the first vision was the archangel Gabriel, then you would probably identify the second angel in this vision as Gabriel as well. Those who take this view point out that Gabriel is the highest ranking angel (that we know of), so it would not be unusual for him to give orders to other angels under his command.

In either case, the assisting angel is instructed to 'run' to the prophet with the information Jesus gives him.  Thus we see that God always hears and answers the prayers of his people.  Those who truly seek God for wisdom can be sure that God will provide understanding to them in a timely manner.

James 1:5 - If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally, and reproaches not; and it shall be given him.

By the same token, if God calls us to do a task for him, we should not delay.  Think about it this way – right now, someone is crying out to the Lord for a need they have.  God hears that prayer and in response, he commissions you to move forward and do something.  If you delay in doing what God has commissioned you to do, it appears to the needy person that God is late, careless or indifferent to their problem.

For example, suppose there is a person in your fellowship who is having a hard time financially and they have been praying for money to fix their car.  It would not be unreasonable to imagine that God would lay it upon your heart to give some money that that family, even if you were unaware of the need. 

If you fail to answer that call in a timely manner, the other person is left waiting for God to act; they may wonder why he is taking so long!   

This raises a good question: Do your works reflect the true, loving nature of God, or does your service imply God is cold, distant, half-hearted or unwilling to help?

The second thing we notice in vision #3 is that the prophet is described as a 'young man'.  This is yet another example of how God uses people in all stages and seasons of life.  Young, middle aged, old, with kids, without kids, retired, married or single – all of us are in active service to the King.  Though our service may change during different seasons of life, we all have something to contribute to the kingdom!

Now let's get into the heart of the message contained in the vision.  Jesus instructs the assisting angel to tell Zechariah that 'Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls'.  What is the significance of that?

Back in the days of Zechariah, all major cities had walls and gates. These were used in defense of the city and her people. But they also had the side effect of limiting the size of the city as well as the number of people who could dwell there.

                                                     

The walls also limited the amount of resources that could be held in the city.  This was a very important factor when an ancient city was under siege.  The city would be taken when its resources were eventually exhausted.    

The image of an un-walled Jerusalem speaks of an unconfined, unlimited, steadily expanding population spreading itself out freely without restraint and without fear of attack.  It also indicates a state of prosperity.  

The question is, has this prophesy been fulfilled?

Again, our answer must be 'yes' and 'no'. 

During the time that Zechariah was functioning as God's prophet, the Jews had been give two major assignments from God:  Rebuild the temple and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1:3, Nehemiah 2:17-18, Daniel 9:25, etc).  When the walls were finished, the enemies of Israel were confounded because it was evident that God was behind their project (Nehemiah 6:15-16).  This tells us that they were still in need of the walls.  Therefore the vision could not have been fulfilled at that time; it must have a future fulfillment.

We can point to a possible/partial fulfillment of it during the reign of Herod Agrippa, because the noted historian Josephus tells us (Wars 5:4:2) that in during Agrippa's reign Jerusalem had "by reason of the multitude" gradually "extended beyond its original limits" so that another hill had to be "taken in" to the city limits and fortified.

While this definitely proves Jerusalem expanded somewhat, it still had walls and gates. For this reason, it is doubtful that this fulfills the word/vision given to Zechariah.

Another possible fulfillment has been mentioned by many.

Scripture speaks of a 'New Jerusalem" which comes down from heaven.  This Jerusalem will be without walls; it will be open to the world.  Yet, its inhabitants will dwell in safety and without fear because God also dwells there.

Revelation 21:2-3 - And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven and I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

Obviously, if this is a fulfillment of the vision, it is still in the future.

However, there is another, almost universally accepted theory, which says that the vision is actually being fulfilled right this moment!  This theory says that the expansion of the physical city of Jerusalem is actually picture of the church. 

Thus, through the spreading of the gospel we see the gradual, unconfined, steady expansion of the kingdom of heaven.  The kingdom's expansion reaches every continent and every nation, without bounds or limits.  It is a kingdom without physical defenses because its protector is Father God.

Scripture verifies that the kingdom began in Jerusalem, expanded through Judea and now continues its spread to the uttermost parts of the world.          

Acts 1:8 - But you shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit has come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Like an expanding city, the kingdom of heaven overflows and gently enlarges itself to the right and left (Isaiah 33:20).  It continues to grow and multiply boundlessly, ever ready to receive countless souls who desire to worship and serve the Lord. Hallelujah!     

This explanation seems to best correspond to the message given in the vision. 

Zechariah 2:5 – 'And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the Lord, and I will be the glory in her midst.'"

Here is an additional promise regarding Jerusalem (and thus the church).  God is not only her fortress (Psalms 18:2, Psalms 144:2, Isaiah 26:1, etc) he will be a wall of fire all around her. 

In a physical battle, men may try to scale walls, but they cannot scale fire.  The concept being presented is that though there are no watchmen, soldiers or walls to protect Jerusalem, her inhabitants will be perfectly safe because God himself surrounds and protects them like a wall, while simultaneously striking fear/terror into her enemies like a raging fire which cannot be tamed or breached. 

This is a picture of the perfect protection that God uses to defend the church today. Satan has tried countless times to destroy both the Jews and the church over the years, but he has never been successful and he never will be!

Not only that, God promises to be the glory in her midst.  In other words, the real peace and happiness of the citizens of Jerusalem (and the church) will be found in God.  He will give or adorn his people will everything that is good and perfect.  He will not only supply what they need, he will lavishly give them the desires of their heart.  There will be no lack among them.

Overall, the meaning of the vision is something like this:

The Jews were despondent because they were lacking in resources, few in number, weak in strength, and despised by all.  Yet, they had reason to hope.  Though only a small number returned from the exile, God planned to increase his people into a vast multitude of both Jews and Gentiles – aka, the church. (The church was founded by the Jews, then the Gentiles were grafted in, and in the end times, the Jews will return; both Jew and Gentile are united together in the church).

No matter how weak the Jews were compared to their enemies, God was sufficiently strong and powerful enough to defend them.  Their enemies would not be able to prevail over them; victory was assured.  Likewise, God has mandated victory for his church; the gates of hell will not be able to prevail against us.

No matter how destitute God's people currently were, God was ready to enrich the Jews with every good thing, as long as they relied on him. It was his will to bless them and keep them safe. Likewise, we can be confident that whatever resources the church finds itself in need of, God will supply them (Haggai 2:8).

The vision was/is a sure and certain promise which was ultimately fulfilled when God broke down the barrier between Jews and Gentiles and established his church (Ephesians 2:11-16).  From that day forth, the church has continuously expanded and grown, reaching toward the uttermost parts of the earth.  Although there are formidable enemies in every generation (including ours), God has not changed.  He is still well able to protect and bless his children, while giving us victory over our enemies.

 

Let me offer you some encouragement, relief and strength:

The third vision of Zechariah speaks of God doing/accomplishing the impossible. As the Jews evaluated themselves and their position, they correctly determined that only God could bring about the astonishing plans and blessings he revealed to them.

In the period of time between the moment of revelation and the moment the vision came to pass, they had to live by faith.  

Please consider the following:

Faith sees that which does not yet exist.  Think back to the vision.  The angel had been sent to measure a city/kingdom which had not yet been built and, in fact, would be immeasurable (Hebrews 11:12).  All of the practical, matter-of-fact people in the world would describe that as a waste of time.  They would call it foolish.  If it doesn't make sense in the scope of their limited knowledge, they refuse to even consider it.

But what they don't understand is that you can't measure anything that God builds.  No plumb line can measure the depth of God's love.  No meter can register the strength of his power.  No pump can put a dent in the ocean of his blessing. 

You could have measured the height of Goliath, but it would have been impossible to gauge the faith and courage of David.  You could have counted the age of Sara, but it would have been impossible to weigh the faith which made her body fruitful again.  You could have numbered the Midianite army, but you could never have quantified the faith of Gideon and his 300 men.   

Faith in the promises of God seems foolish to the world, but for the Christian that kind of faith is the very basis of the gospel message:

1 Corinthians 1:18 - For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.   

(See I Corinthians 1:17-31, 2:14, 3:19, etc).

• By faith we are sons and daughters of Abraham, by faith we receive salvation, by faith we are filled with Holy Spirit and by faith we know that Jesus has prepared a place for us in heaven.

• By faith we know that the city or kingdom of heaven is being built up and advanced daily, even though we don't see the full manifestation of it yet.

• By faith we know that our children/families will be saved, even though they still spend Sunday mornings in bed.

• By faith we know that God is our protector, our healer and our soon coming King, even though we are still living with pain and waiting for the rapture to occur.

• By faith we know that we have the keys to the kingdom and the power to bind and loose things on earth, even though evil is still clinging on to power.

• By faith we know that victory is ours through Christ Jesus, even though we are still in the midst of conflict.

• By faith we know that nothing is impossible with God (Matthew 17:20, Mark 9:23, Luke 1:37).

So whatever your faith is waiting and believing for, DO NOT GIVE UP HOPE.    

Habakkuk 2:3 - For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.     

Remember Abraham?  By faith he received a promise that his offspring would be as countless as the stars in the sky (Genesis 15:5-6) or the sand on the seashore (Genesis 22:17).  His faith grasped that promised and never let it go.  The book of Hebrews tells us that he died before he saw the final/complete manifestation of his faith (Hebrews 11:8-13).

However, his faith in the promise influenced/determined the way he lived his life. For example, he believed he would have children, so he continued to be intimate with his wife despite the fact that she was past child bearing, and he wound up with two sons. Though he did not own any land, he wandered through the Middle East, knowing that every place the sole of his foot touched would become the Promised Land.

The same was true of his offspring during the days of Zechariah.  They grasped the promise (given through Zechariah's third vision) of a city/kingdom that would overflow the walls of Jerusalem and steadily spread.  They believed that walls would be unnecessary, because God would be the protector and defender of the city.  They believed that God's glory and blessings would rest upon that nation.

Obviously, they died before the promise was manifested in the church. But their faith in the promise influenced the way they lived their lives. After the vision, they experienced renewed hope and joy. They got to work and rebuilt the walls and the temple. They got rid of their foreign wives, married other Jews and began to repopulate the nation.

The same must be true for us.  Even if we have not yet seen the final fulfillment of that which we grasp by faith, we must live our lives in way that demonstrates our belief.  We must speak/proclaim victory, celebrate the victory, praise and worship God for the victory and prepare like our victory is imminent.       

If we will allow our faith to influence our lives, we too will eventually see our promise come to pass.

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Zechariah 1:18 – And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four horns!

Welcome back, dear readers!  We have begun our study of the visions of Zechariah.  In our last post, we studied vision #1, the 'man' and horseman among the myrtle trees.

There can be no doubt that after that vision, God had Zechariah's attention.  Even though it was night, he was wide awake meditating on the first vision, its interpretation and its message to Israel.  But little did he know, God wasn't finished speaking yet.  Zechariah would eventually see eight separate visions that night.  We are now going to examine the second vision.

The scripture tells us that suddenly, Zechariah 'lifts up [his] eyes' and sees yet another vision – four horns.  While that seems odd to us, it wasn't that strange to Zechariah because Israel was a nation of shepherds.  Horned animals were a part of their daily life.  In addition, Zechariah came from a family of priests.  Therefore he was familiar with the horned animals that were routinely sacrificed in the temple - goats, rams and oxen. 

So when Zechariah sees a vision of four horns, it is highly unlikely these four horns were just randomly floating in space.  His vision probably consisted of some type of animal or beast with horns.  Since the focus of the vision was clearly the horns, he does not bother to mention the animal(s) associated with them.

Did you know that animal horns are often mentioned in scripture? 

They had many literal and practical uses.  For instance, we have evidence that horns, which are hollow, were polished and used as either drinking vessels or as a means of holding liquids:

1 Samuel 16:1 - And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel?  Fill your horn with oil, and go, I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.  

Horns were also used as musical instruments...

Psalm 98:6 - With trumpets and the sound of a horn make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.

and as a means to summon men to war:

Joshua 6:4 - And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.

Many bible scholars believe that the very first trumpets were nothing more than ox horns which had a perforation at the tip.  In later times, that concept evolved into more sophisticated instruments made with different materials. 

Horns are used symbolically or metaphorically in scripture as well.  In the natural realm, the horns of an animal are its chief means of attack and defense.  (Picture an enraged bull, charging at a rival with his head lowered in a position to strike with his horns.) 

The horns are a reflection of the power, strength and ferocity which the animal possesses.  Likewise, we find that in scripture, horns represent power, strength, dominion and fierceness. 

A horn can depict the strength and vitality of a single individual:

1 Samuel 2:1 - And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoices in the LORD, my horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth boasts over my enemies; because I rejoice in your salvation.

Thus, when one's horn is 'in the dust', it symbolizes humility or degradation (Job 16:15).  When one's horn is lifted up or exalted, it is a poetical expression of honor, glory or prosperity (Psalms 75:4, I Chronicles 25:5).

As you are probably aware, Jesus is referred to as the 'horn of our salvation':

Psalm 18:2 - The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

(See also II Samuel 22:3, Luke 1:69, etc).  The idea behind this phrase is that Jesus is a Savior who has the necessary power/strength/might to work salvation for mankind.

Horns can also represent the strength and might of nations:

Micah 4:13 - Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make your horn iron, and I will make your hoofs bronze: and you shall beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their wealth unto the Lord of the whole earth.

Jeremiah 48:25 - The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, says the LORD.

Here is another interesting fact - when scripture gives us a specific number of horns that number normally corresponds to a number of monarchies or kingdoms.  For example, Daniel had a vision of a beast with ten horns (Daniel 7), and the interpretation makes it clear that they represent ten kingdoms:

Daniel 7:24 - And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise.

(See also Revelation 12:3, 13:1 and 17:3-16).  The same concept is reflected in Daniel's vision of a ram with two horns.  One horn represented the kingdom of Media and the other the kingdom of Persia (Daniel 8:20).  In Daniel 8:5, the 'notable horn' of the goat was Alexander the Great.

Now that we have a little more background on the use of the term 'horn' in the scriptures, let's return to the vision of Zechariah.

The focal point of this vision was clearly a set of four horns.  These no doubt represent four powerful, fierce and/or dominant nations or kingdoms.  The question is, which four?

One popular opinion (which was apparently the prevailing opinion of the ancient Jews) was that the four horns represented four world empires:

• Assyrian Empire (approximately 900-600 BCE) or Babylonian Empire/Chaldean dynasty (626-539 BCE).

• Persian Empire (Began in 550 BC with Cyrus, ended by Alexander the Great in 331BC)

• Grecian Empire (approximately 750-323 BC)

• Roman Empire/imperial period (Began in 31 BC with the proclamation of Augustus Caesar that he was the emperor, ended in 476 AD with the fall of Rome)

Those who believe this interpretation point out that all of these kingdoms conquered and oppressed other nations, including the Jews.  They also correspond to the four beasts seen in Daniel chapter seven.

If this is the interpretation of the four horns, then it should be noted that only two of the four empires had come to power at the time the prophesy was given. This causes us to take note that the vision unfolded in future generations exactly as God said it would.

A different interpretation of this vision says that the four horns represent the four corners of the earth (north, south, east, west) and their corresponding kingdoms.  This theory is based on the idea that the Jews were assailed on every side by their enemies.  Those who hold this theory identify the pertinent kingdoms as follows:

• North – The Assyrians and Babylonians.

• South – The Egyptians and Edomites.

• East – the Moabites and Ammonites.

• West – The Philistines.

But we don't necessarily have to exclude either theory (or other theories that have also been proposed), because prophesy has many levels of fulfillment. 

In other words, Zechariah's vision could have been fulfilled on one level with the immediate enemies of ancient Israel (the theory of the four corners of the world). It could have been fulfilled on another level, in another generation with the domination of Israel by Rome.

And there are many who believe it will be fulfilled yet again, with the revival of the Roman Empire in the last days before Christ returns to earth (see Daniel chapter 2, the vision of the image with the golden head, etc).

Zechariah 1:19 – And I said to the angel who talked with me, "What are these?" And he said to me, "These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem."

Immediately after seeing the four horns, Zechariah asks the assisting angel who or what these horns represent. 

The assisting angel tells Zechariah that they are kingdoms which have 'scattered' God's people.  The term 'scattered' refers to the process of winnowing grain.  However, it does not necessarily mean to literally disburse the Jews (as in the captivity).  It has a broader meaning which includes any attempt to destroy national unity, to strip Israel of power/blessings or bring her into bondage.    

Think of it this way: In the natural realm, when an ox uses its horns against enemies or rivals, some of them are injured, some die and some flee.

The same would be true of the Jews which were 'scattered' by the horns or nations in this vision. 'Scattered' would include things like vexation/oppression of Israel by the Moabites, Ammonites, Philistines and others during the period of the judges and kings. It would also certainly refer to the captivity as well as the economic, civil and religious oppression of Rome during the time of Christ.

If we look at the time of Zechariah, we can say with certainty that the Jews were being bullied by other powers.  Once the Jews began to rebuild the temple, they were instantly surrounded by enemies on all sides.  If they maneuvered to avoid one enemy, they were pushed or 'gored' by another (Nehemiah 4:7-8, Ezra chapter 4).  In the case of Israel, there was/is no shortage of nations who desire to oppress her!

Furthermore, these were not just kingdoms that wanted to control Israel; they were kingdoms who were looking for complete annihilation of God's people.  They showed Israel no mercy.  They gave her people no reprieve and no hope.

Because of the formidable power of these oppressing nations, the Israelites in the day of Zechariah had slipped into despair.  The Jews were unable to make any progress on the temple and they began to give up hope.  It was apparent that they could not complete the work in their own strength, and they did not see any evidence that God was moving on their behalf.  

But they were wrong.    

Zechariah 1:20-21 – Then the Lord showed me four craftsman. And I said, "What are these coming to do?"  He said, "These are the horns that scattered Judah, so that no one raised his head. And these have come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter it."

Immediately after seeing the four horns, Zechariah also sees four craftsmen.  In Hebrew, this word refers to a mechanic, a carpenter (someone who is skilled in working with wood and stone) or a blacksmith (one who works with brass and iron).   

These four 'craftsmen' have the ability and authority to saw, cut, burn, melt, nail, carve, cast or otherwise shape/destroy the horns.     

The assisting angel reveals to Zechariah that these four 'craftsman' represent other powers or kingdoms which the Lord sent to defeat the four 'horns' who had vexed his people Israel.

Hallelujah! This was a wonderful word of hope for the people of God. God had not forgotten Israel. As we noted in the first vision, he was keeping a record of every action taken against his people. He was aware of every blow the enemy delivered and every attempt they made to destroy his beloved nation.

And at the proper time, he was going to send a 'craftsman' or deliverer to tear down, modify and/or destroy the nations who were seeking to crush and burden his people.  Relief from these oppressing powers was on the way!

Who were these 'craftsmen'?  Can we identify them?   

Obviously, the identity of the craftsman depends on who you identified as the four horns. 

In the days of Zechariah, the craftsmen could have been individuals such as Zerubbabel the governor, Joshua the priest or Ezra and Nehemiah.  These men faithfully and bravely carried on the work of God in spite of the opposition they faced from the Gentiles and the Samaritans. They were an inspiration and an example for the whole nation.

But in a broader sense, the craftsmen were probably nations. For example, if you believe that Babylon was one of the horns, then by default Cyrus was one of the craftsmen, because his kingdom destroyed Babylon. If you believe that Persia was one of the horns, then by default Alexander the Great and his kingdom must be one of the craftsmen, because they defeated Persia.

The obvious parallel is that a nation could be both a horn and a craftsman. This is evident when we consider that the Babylonians were destroyed by the Medes and Persians, the Persians were destroyed by the Grecians, the Grecians were destroyed by the Romans, etc.

But let's not get bogged down or side-tracked in trying to identify the craftsman.  Instead, let's look at the bigger picture - for every one of the 'horns', God raised up a skilled 'craftsman' to destroy it.  Therefore, we can conclude that for every enemy of God's people, God provides a counteracting power to destroy it.   

We know this to be true; it seems like every generation has at least one nation or group of people who are dedicated to the destruction of the Israel and/or the Jewish nation. Despite the fact that they are well funded, well staffed and well equipped, they never succeed.

Why do you suppose that is?  It's because God fights for them.  When satan inspires nations to slaughter the Jews, God raises up craftsmen to counter and subdue those kingdoms.  Satan has never and will never be able to remove God's people from the earth.  God has never lost a war and he isn't about start now!

Now let's ask ourselves this question:  Is this vision a word for the church in our generation? 

I believe it is.  In fact, I think it is like a mirror for the situation facing the church today. 

The church has enemies on every side.  The government seeks to restrain us, while liberal politicians try to categorize Christians as dangerous.  They want to blame Christians for all of the evils and problems facing society today. 

In fact, nearly every facet of our culture seeks to crush, kill and destroy Christian values.  Radical groups promote sin and perversion under the veil of 'freedom', while calling righteousness a 'hate crime'.  They sound off about freedom of speech while simultaneously doing everything in their power to silence the gospel message (or any message that questions their actions/ideals). 

We also find that foreign nations hate America and everything we stand for. China, Iran and Russia seem to be working behind the scenes to covertly bring destruction to America, the only other nation on earth formed by a covenant with God.

In our own power, we cannot overturn this tide of evil that is coming against the church and the nation of America. But we don't need to lose hope. God promises us that Holy Spirit is ready to come on the scene and give us victory:

Isaiah 59:19 - So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.

AMEN!  Clearly, at the appropriate time, God is going to raise up 'craftsmen' who, through the power of Holy Spirit, will turn back the tide of evil. 

However, as with ancient Israel, this will probably not be an instantaneous event. It will happen over time, as the church stands firm, follows the commands of Holy Spirit, resists evil and does all she can to bring about revival in the world:

James 4:7 - Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Therefore, let the church rejoice!  We should not despair or give up the fight because God is going to make us victorious in Christ!  Let's continue to fight the good fight of faith everyday and watch as God crushes satan under our feet!

 

Let me offer you some encouragement:

Yes, the church is under attack in this generation, but we WILL be victorious, through Christ! 

We want to be informed about what is happening in the world, but at the same time, don't pay too much attention to the bad news that the world is constantly spouting off. Don't despair and don't give up hope.  God fulfills his plans and purposes in every generation and this one won't be any different. 

I believe God has great and mighty things in store for the church; if we remain faithful and courageously follow Holy Spirit, we are going to see victory.

 

Let me offer you some relief:

If you've already been infected by hopelessness or despair, there is a cure.  Turn off or greatly curtail the sources who are speaking defeat into your life (the news, your friends, cultural leaders, podcasts, etc). 

Instead, get into the bible and rediscover the greatness of our God!  Take time to enter into seasons of worship and praise and allow Holy Spirit to revive your hope.  God is going to take his church to victory, and he wants you to be a part of that!

Hint: You might want to start with Hebrews chapter 11.

 

Let me offer you some strength:

God did not create you to fail, to cower before the enemy or to live in fear.  His word says that we have the power to trample the enemy:

Psalm 91:13 - You shall tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the serpent shall you trample under feet.

So remind yourself and those around you that you are a soldier of the King! You are well equipped, well trained and well supported. You operate under the authority of Christ and the anointing of Holy Spirit. Let's begin to boldly proclaim victory in the name of Jesus!

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Zechariah 1:7 – On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying,

If you haven't read the book of Haggai recently, it would be beneficial for you to take a few minutes and do so now.  With only two chapters, you can finish it quickly.

The reason you might want to stop and do so, is because the ministries of Zechariah and Haggai overlap.  Because God used both of them to speak to the same groups of people during the same generation, your study of Zechariah will be enhanced if you are at least familiar with the work of Haggai.    

As far as the Jews were concerned, the messages of Haggai and Zechariah were a two-witness confirmation that God was moving in their midst (II Corinthians 13:1, Deuteronomy 19:15).  That must have been a real blessing and encouragement to them, as they were experiencing long and arduous trials, which seemed like they would never end.    

Because Haggai and Zechariah exactly date some of their material, we can form a general timeline of events.

516 BC, the sixth month: Through the prophet Haggai, God commanded the Jews to finish rebuilding the temple. (They had abandoned this task due to intense opposition.) Haggai also discloses that for the last few years God prevented his people from prospering because they had abandoned this work (Haggai chapter 1).

Based on the word of the Lord through Haggai, the Jews obediently returned to building the temple. 

516 BC, the eighth month: Zechariah gives his first prophesy (Zechariah 1:1-6). As we studied in our last post, God commanded his people to carefully consider the ways of their ancestors, so they could avoid making the same mistakes and receiving the same punishments. God invites the Jews to return to him and be blessed (Zechariah 1:3).

516 BC, the ninth month: Haggai receives and reports the revelation he received in Haggai 2:10-23.

516 BC, the eleventh month: Haggai prophesies that God is going to shake the heavens and the earth; he is going to overthrow/punish Gentile nations. He will use the current generation of Israelites like a signet ring to seal his word and promises to future generations. He will glorify Israel in the future (Haggai 2:20-23).

516 BC, the eleventh month: Zechariah has a series of visions, one following another all in the same night.

These visions all follow the same basic pattern – the vision is given, a question is asked which prompts additional information to be shared about the prophetic word, and then an angel gives the interpretation of the vision (more on that shortly).

The visions are distinct and separate, yet when taken together, they give a roadmap of God's future plans for his people.  Regardless of Israel's past mistakes and current lowly condition, God's purposes for them remained unchanged.  God was determined to do good to his people; he would make sure that Israel fulfilled the destiny he had in store for her.

These future plans and words of encouragement were a source of great comfort and inspiration to people who were just emerging from a period of God's discipline.

Zechariah 1:8 – "I saw in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in the glen, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses."

The first thing to notice is that even though it is night time, Zechariah is having a vision, not a dream. 

A dream is a thought/idea or series of thoughts/ideas which occupy your mind during sleep. Dreams can be of divine origin, demonic origin or neither (i.e., the result of your own subconscious thoughts, which originate in your soul). They must be interpreted after you wake up. A good scriptural example would be the dreams that King Nebuchadnezzar saw (and Daniel interpreted) in Daniel chapter two.

Visions are more like a picture (or sometimes a movie), which you perceive when you are awake. During a vision, your physical eyes can either be open or shut. It really doesn't matter, because you are essentially using your spiritual eyes to see into the spiritual realm through the use of your mind or imagination.

For example, in Acts 9:10-17,  Ananias had a vision from the Lord in which he was instructed to go lay his hands on Saul and pray for him to receive his sight.  In Acts 10:9-16, Peter had a vision of a sheet filled with unclean animals which he was instructed to eat. 

God spoke to Zechariah through a vision, but that is not his only method of communication.  He also speaks through dreams, his word, or impressions upon your heart/mind.   Sometimes he sends messages to us through angels.  He even communicates with us through art, music or nature.  

The important thing to know is that God does not limit his communication to religious leaders or prophets.  He speaks to all Christians:

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

Let me repeat that:  If you are a Christian, God is speaking to YOU.  It is up to you to train your eyes and ears so you can see/hear him.  If you need further instructions, there are many good resources available which will teach you how to do just that.   

 

Zechariah saw his vision during the night.  Is there any significance to that?

Not necessarily. 'Nighttime' may simply have been the time he set aside each day to meditate on the law. Or maybe it was the only time he was by himself and able to fully pay attention to the vision.

However, there are some commentators who think the darkness was reflective of the current state of Israel – the light of the nation was dim compared to her former power and glory. 

Other scholars believe the darkness shows that Israel's current understanding of God's future plans was dim or dark, but the visions of Zechariah gave them glimpses of the future when God would bring his plans to full light.

Yet another theory says that the darkness was emblematic of the affliction under which the Jews groaned.

Regardless of whether the timing was significant or not, we know that Zechariah sees the following:

A man riding on a red horse:  This man is clearly the leader of the host who follows behind him.  As we will see, the others report to him and he instructs the angel, who then communicates with Zechariah.

Two main theories have been given as to the identity of the man on the red horse.

One theory claims it is an angel in the form of a man.  Those who hold to this theory believe it may be the angel Gabriel who also appeared to Daniel (Daniel 9:21), Zechariah (Luke 1:19) and Mary (Luke 1:26-27).

Another, more widely accepted view, says that the man on the red horse is a theophany – a manifestation or incarnation of Jesus which occurred before he was born on earth.     

For example, many believe that it was Jesus who appeared to Joshua just before the conquest of the Promised Land (Joshua 5:13-15).  In this account, the 'man' instructed Joshua to remove his shoes because he was standing on holy ground.  He also accepted worship from Joshua.  He identified himself as the captain of the Lord's army, which certainly corresponds to the role of Jesus.  We find similar appearances of Christ in Daniel 7:13-14, Daniel 10:5-6 and Exodus 3:2.

Those who believe the rider of the red horse was Jesus point out to the following facts:

• The rider cries out to God, advocating for the Jews; Jesus is the advocate of the saints.
• The rider speaks good and comforting words to the Jews; Jesus speaks comforting words to Christians.
• The rider comes swiftly to the aid of his followers; Jesus comes swiftly to the aid of the church.

In addition, at that time in history, common people rode donkeys. Riding a horse was a sign of majesty and glory which was reserved for kings or generals (Psalms 45:4).

For the purposes of our study, we will assume the rider on the red horse was Jesus.   

 His horse is red, which is often used as an emblem of war and bloodshed (Revelation 6:4).  In this particular vision, the red horse may symbolize the vengeance of God that will be visited upon the enemies of the Jews (see verse 15). 

Standing among the myrtle trees in the glen: Here is some information you might find helpful: Not every detail of a vision, prophesy, or parable has a corresponding element in its interpretation. In this case, the myrtle trees have no real significance.  They are present because they would be a natural part of an outdoor scene that involved men on horseback, who were traveling throughout the land.

Behind him were red, sorrel and white horses:  The riders of these horses are universally recognized as angels.  Angelic forces are known to be organized much like human military units.  They have different branches, ranks, levels of authority and areas of expertise.  For this reason, the different colors of the horses are thought to represent different ranks of angels who were under the command of Christ.   

 

Zechariah 1:9 – "Then I said, 'What are these, my Lord?'  The angel who talked with me said to me, 'I will show you what they are.'"

If you don't fully understand the vision at this point you're in good company – Zechariah doesn't understand it either.  When has asks for clarification, God sends a ministering angel to assist him (Hebrews 1:14). 

This angel is distinct from the beings seen in the actual vision. His job was to present the visions to Zechariah's mind/imagination and then to function as a guide and interpreter who would assist Zechariah in understanding the things he was shown. For ease and clarity, we refer to him as the 'assisting angel' from now on.

Zechariah 1:10-11 – "So the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, 'These are they whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth.' And they answered the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, and said, 'We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth remains at rest.'"

In response to Zechariah's question, the assisting angel turns to the leader on the red horse (Jesus) who provides the answer to his question.  This demonstrates that all information given to Zechariah by the assisting angel comes from Jesus.  This will be true in all of the visions.   

 

Jesus says that the angels on the horses patrol the whole earth (not just Israel), taking note of the affairs of mankind.

No mention is made of these angels executing judgment on God's behalf or of them rescuing people. This leads to the conclusion that the orders of these specific angels are limited to inspection and reporting. They either report to a higher angel or directly to the Lord.

Was this a temporary assignment or a permanent one?  Although we have limited information from the vision, we get the distinct impression from the context that this was a permanent duty for this particular subset of angels.

But I also want to point out that God does send other angels on unceasing errands to counter Satan's plans and to defend and rescue his people:

Psalms 34:7 – The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.

(See also Psalms 91:11, Psalms 103:20-21, etc).   

Now, at this point, we need to stop and clarify something. 

God is omniscient.  This means that he knows absolutely everything.  He is aware of all the events, decisions, thoughts, and actions of every individual person as well as every nation in the world, at every moment in time (Psalms 139:1-4).  In fact, he even knows what will happen before it actually occurs (Isaiah 46:9-10).  Therefore, God has no real need for angels to patrol the earth and report their findings back to him. 

Since that is the case, what is the purpose of the angels in the vision?

The vision is to give comfort and encouragement to the Jews. God condescended to the level of his people to teach them/give them a picture of his love and care for them. Let me explain.

From Israel's perspective, things are not good.  In fact, the situation is depressing.  The nation experienced the wrath of God and was sent into exile.  Even though God had opened the door for them to return to Jerusalem, they face opposition from the Samaritans and Gentiles at every turn.  Construction on the temple had only recently begun again and the walls/gates of Jerusalem were still in shambles. 

The people were poor, discouraged and tired. No doubt, they often wondered if God took any notice of them at all. Furthermore, they questioned that if God did see them, why wasn't he doing anything? Why were their enemies at rest when they were constantly under duress?

 

So, the picture of numerous angelic hosts patrolling the earth and reporting to God is a simple yet concrete way for the Jews to understand that God is always watching.

He is taking note of every event that happens. He is well aware of the trouble that other nations/people are giving the Jews, and at the proper time, he will move into action.

Have you ever experienced a time when you wondered if God saw you or your situation?  If so, remember the vision of the angels and be reassured that God is keeping a close watch on you, just as he did the Jews of Zechariah's day.

The angels on horseback confirm that they have indeed traveled through the world, as instructed.  Their investigations reveal that all the nations of the earth are at rest or peace.  In other words, there is an absence of war and calamity on the earth.  History confirms that this was true in the second year of the reign of Darius. 

This rest contrasted with the unrest and hardships being experienced by the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem.  Although rest had been promised to them, they were not yet experiencing it.  The walls/gates of Jerusalem were still broken down (Nehemiah 1:3, 2:3), and work on the temple had only recently started again.  There was a lot of work to be done, and the Samaritans and Gentiles were still actively opposing them at every turn.

But the vision indicates that their present distress will not last forever. God was not asleep on his throne; at the appointed time he would step in and punish those who abused the Jews.

Zechariah 1:12 – "Then the angel of the Lord said, 'O Lord of hosts, how long will you have no mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which you have been angry these seventy years?'"

Again, the Angel of the Lord is the one who rides a red horse and stands as leader among the myrtle trees.  This is none other than Jesus, the Son of God, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8) and the only Mediator between God and man (I Timothy 2:5).

The vision portrays the passionate and fervent intercession of Jesus as he calls out to his Father (the Lord of Hosts). There can be no doubt that Jesus sees and is affected by their afflictions. His intensity demonstrates the level of compassion he has for his people. He cries out for both their temporal and spiritual good.

The phrase 'how long will you have no mercy' is not a complaint; it is the heartfelt request of one who has been touched by our infirmities and is longing for mercy (Psalms 13:1-2, Revelation 6:10).

The stated term of 70 years is a bit tricky to understand.  We know that the period of the Babylonian captivity was 70 years, but this cannot be the seventy years mentioned here, because that time period was well past.  By the time Zechariah saw this vision the Jews had been back in Jerusalem for 18 years. 

What 70-year time period is mentioned here?  Rather than referring to the period of captivity, it seems to refer to refer to the period when there was no temple and thus no place of fellowship between God and his children. 

The destruction of Solomon's temple occurred at the same time King Zedekiah was removed from Jerusalem to Babylon (roughly 588 BC; see Jeremiah 52:9-13).  At the time of this vision (516 BC), it was in the process of being rebuilt, so this was likely the period in question. 

The focus or point of this question is the lack of fellowship between God and man.

Zechariah 1:13 – And the Lord answered gracious and comforting words to the angel who talked with me.

In response to the prayer/petition for mercy, Jesus gave the angel (and Zechariah) words of comfort and consolation.  These were reassurances from God that his anger towards Israel was appeased and he would soon bring to pass all the promises that he had made to her.  Because of his great love and compassion for Israel, he would once again bestow his favor and blessings upon the nation (Isaiah 57:16-19).    

This ties in with a word given much earlier by the prophet Isaiah:

Isaiah 40:1-2 - Comfort you, comfort you my people, says your God.  Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she has received of the LORD's hand double for all her sins.

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

The assisting angel instructs Zechariah to 'cry out'.  In other words, the vision was not just for his edification or comfort.  He was to proclaim this good news to the entire nation.

Specifically, he was to inform the people that God was 'exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem'.  What does that mean?

This is an expression that clearly declares the boundless love of God for his people.  Because it is difficult, if not impossible, for us truly to understand the depth of God's love toward us, God often uses an analogy to express it.  Sometimes he likens himself to a husband, with the Jews (or the church) as his wife.  Other times he expresses his love in terms of the relationship of a Father to his children. 

In both/either case, God is showing that he is, was and will continue be utterly devoted to/in love with his people.  He is fully and zealously committed to blessing his people, showering them with favor and leading them to the incredible destiny he has prepared for them.

In addition, he has a strong feeling of indignation against their enemies.   

Now let's stop and consider the outlook of the Jews for a minute. Although they had returned from captivity, they were not experiencing the joy, rest or favor of God. Because of this, they doubted his love for them. They felt like God was neglecting them or that he was indifferent and unconcerned about their struggles.

But they were wrong.  The Lord of Hosts (the God with infinite power and resources) was like a jealous husband or father, who was getting ready to wage war on anyone who harmed his loved ones.    

 Zechariah 1:15 – 'And I am exceedingly angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was angry but a little, they furthered the disaster.'

There is no doubt that God had disciplined his people for their idolatry by sending them into captivity.  Much like a loving Father, it probably broke God's heart to do so, but he had to correct his people for their own benefit.

Proverbs 3:12 - For whom the LORD loves he corrects; even as a father the son in whom he delights.

There is also no doubt that God used the Gentile nations of the world as his method of punishment; it was the Assyrians and the Babylonians who took Israel into captivity. 

But while God's intent was correction through punishment, the Gentile nations were bent upon the total destruction of the Jews.

As the Gentiles of the world were enjoying a period of prosperity and peace (no wars or national calamities), they not only turned a blind eye to the suffering and hardships of God's people, they continued to cruelly abuse and oppress them, multiplying their misery and distress. 

God wants his people to know that he sees the injustice being done to them, and it has aroused his jealous anger.

Zechariah 1:16 – Therefore, thus says the Lord, 'I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy; my house shall be built in it, declares the Lord of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.'

God now announces the action he is going to take.  He gives the Jews a message of hope, pardon and reconciliation.  Their punishment is over; they have been pardoned. 

The proof of his favor and presence among them was that the temple (the place of fellowship between God and man) was going to be rebuilt. Once again, divine worship would be restored. Once again, people would celebrate the festivals. Once again they would honor God with sacrifices/offerings.

Sure enough, this came to pass just as God said.  We know the foundations of the temple had been laid many years earlier, and that work had ceased until the call of Haggai in the second year of Darius (Haggai 2:18, Zechariah 1:1).  It is also good to know that the temple was finally completed in the sixth year of Darius (Ezra 6:15).  

Thus, God was giving his people hope and encouragement through this vision.  Their current condition was not going to last forever; therefore they should rejoice as they set about the work before them.  They had good reason to look to the future with hope and expectancy, because God had returned to Jerusalem!

God also declares that he will stretch a measuring line over Jerusalem. What does that mean?  Today, carpenters use a tool called a tape measure.  They use this device to take measurements while building.  The measuring line mentioned here is used in the same context; it speaks of God ensuring the rebuilding not only of the temple, but also the walls, gates, streets and houses of Jerusalem. 

The rebuilding would not be haphazard, but methodical and full of purpose.  The buildings would have both beauty and strength due to the skill and artistic ability of the people.  God had a plan and he was bringing it to pass!     

Zechariah 1:17 – 'Cry out again, Thus says the Lord of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.'

The phrase 'cry out again' indicates that a further promise is being made. 

Not only will Jerusalem be rebuilt, it (and the other cities of Judah) would again overflow with good (earthly prosperity and happiness as well as spiritual blessings).  This would be an indication that God had chosen or favored the city of Jerusalem and his people. 

According to John Calvin in his Old Testament commentary, the original phrase translated 'overflow with prosperity' actually means 'to wear out through abundance of blessings'.

The implication is that all the ruined cities of Judah would not just be restored, they would increase and spread out with an explosion of population. Furthermore, such an enormous volume/amount of blessings will be placed upon them, that they will be crushed or squeezed by the weight of them; they would not be able to contain them.

This overflow of good things would be a sign that God's favor had returned to them; his goodness and love again rested upon his people.

From the perspective of the Jews back in Zechariah's day, this was an astonishing promise. It was hard enough to believe that the temple and the city would be rebuilt; the level of prosperity that God promised was too much to comprehend.  Such a thing could only be accomplished by the Lord of Hosts.

This promise was a further word of encouragement and strength to the people who had grown weary in their work. It spurred them into action and soon produced the blessings God described. We know that the Jews began to prosper once again under the leadership of Nehemiah and Zerubbabel.

And of course, they were always spiritually blessed. The culmination of that blessing occurred when Jesus the Messiah was born into their midst to deliver the gospel of salvation, which overflowed Jerusalem into Judea and unto the uttermost parts of the world. Hallelujah!

We expect the vision to be fulfilled once again in the future, when Israel finally recognizes Jesus as Messiah and the Jews will be converted.  This will be the final proof that God has chosen them and not cast them off or rejected them.

Now that we have taken the time to examine the first vision of Zechariah, it's time to ask ourselves a question:  Could this vision have a fulfillment in our generation?

What do you think?  I believe the answer is 'yes'.

Much like ancient Israel, the church in America has been unfaithful to God especially in the last 50 years. Our love for him has grown cold.  We legalized the killing of innocent children (abortion), kicked God out of the public arena (including our schools and government), and set about serving our own interests (money, pleasure, etc). 

Because of that, we find our nation in a current state of crisis.  Chaos is everywhere.  Our government is out of control, our economy is in danger of failing, the police cannot maintain law and order, and the courts no longer provide justice. 

More and more, the church is being oppressed by unbelievers. They actively oppose us as we try to take back the nation which was established under God. At the same time, we seem to be powerless and ineffective in promoting God and stemming the current tide of evil. It would be easy to slip into a state of despair and cease to do the work of the Lord.

But, like ancient Israel, God has not cast us off!  Jesus intercedes on our behalf before the Father, who jealously loves us.   

Romans 8:34 - Who is he that condemns? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

Hebrews 7:25 - Therefore he [Jesus] is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them.

Although it is hard to see any change yet, God has spoken through his modern day prophets to assure his church that he has seen our repentance and he is going to heal our land (II Chronicles 7:14). He will cause us to succeed in our destiny – to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth.

As we continue to repent and pray, God is going to send a mighty revival to America.  The church will not only be restored, it will multiply and overflow with a new population (harvest) of believers. 

Just like ancient Israel, Christians can expect the blessings of God (both temporal and spiritual) to be poured out upon us.  We will then use these blessings to harvest even more souls for the kingdom. 

Although this may seem impossible at the moment, let us receive these words of faith and act accordingly; let us renew our commitment to the work of building God's house (the church) just as ancient Israel did!

In closing, let me encourage you to reread the information about the vision and see what parallels you can find between Israel and America.  There are a few more that I did not take the time to mention, but I bet you can find them on your own.   

  

Let me offer you some encouragement:

We all have times when it seems as if the heavens are closed and God isn't opening them up to us any time soon.  But as we saw in Zechariah's vision, that is not the truth.

During those times when we don't see him moving in our situation, we must live in faith. We must stand on the truth of his promises and reject the lies that Satan speaks through our circumstances.

We can take comfort in Zechariah's vision because it proves that God sees us and loves us; it reveals that he is busy behind the scenes working all things out for our good!

 

Let me offer you some relief:

The Israelites made their share of mistakes.  So have we.  But like Israel, we can't let those mistakes define us or ruin our future.  If we repent and return to the Lord, we can rest assured that he will draw near to us with open arms.  He is able to give us beauty for ashes, joy for mourning and a spirit of praise instead of a spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61:3).

This is also true for our nation. We have sinned greatly in the sight of God, but we cannot let those past mistakes ruin the destiny that God has planned for America.

Holy Spirit is calling believers everywhere to repent in response to our national sins and to pray for revival.  Let's continue to heed this call and watch as God restores and blesses our nation once again.

 

Let me offer you some strength:

Life for the Jews of Zechariah's time was not a bed of roses.  It was a time of warfare and hardship.  But through that struggle, they got to witness the rebirth of the temple and their nation.  In the end, I bet they thought their struggles were worth it, because they had something worthwhile to pass on to the next generation.

I believe the same is true for the church today.  It will take spiritual (and fleshly) warfare in order to get America back on the path of righteousness.  We may be called to struggle or bear hardships.  But if we will answer the call, God will bless us immeasurably.  Plus, we will have the pleasure of knowing that we have something worthwhile to pass on to our children and grandchildren.  Isn't that worth fighting for?

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Zechariah 1:1 – In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying,

Welcome to our study of Zechariah.  The first verse of this book essentially gives us Zechariah's credentials. 

He is the son of Berechiah and the grandson of Iddo.  However, in the book of Ezra (Ezra 5:1, 6:14) he is referred to only as the son of Iddo.  According to the reckoning of the Jews this most likely means that Berechiah died very young and Zechariah was raised by his grandfather.  He was born in Babylon and brought back to Jerusalem as an infant.  

According to Nehemiah 12:12-16, Iddo and Zechariah were priests, who served under the high priest Joshua (Joshua will be mentioned in one of the visions of Zechariah).  This means that Zechariah served as a priest before being called to the office of prophet.  Even after being assigned the office of prophet, Zechariah continued in the priesthood. 

But regardless of his lineage or experience, the foundation of his ministry rested on one irrefutable fact:  God had divinely appointed him to the prophetic office.  God spoke directly to him, and it was then his responsibility to deliver that message to Israel, regardless of the outcome. 

In a best-case scenario, Zechariah would be honored and revered as the messenger of God.  The Jews would listen to the message, follow God's commands and everyone (including Zechariah) would live happy, fulfilled, and prosperous lives from that moment forward.  But in the case of the prophets of Israel, this was rarely the outcome. 

More often, the prophets were both feared and hated among their own countrymen.  They were cast into prison, mocked, threatened, bound, starved, abused and even killed for the message they delivered.  Make no mistake - the office of a prophet was a tough role to fulfill.  It has sometimes been joked that God appointed them because no one would volunteer for the job!

Before the captivity, it was common practice for the prophets to date their messages by using the reigns of the kings of Judah or Israel.  For example, Jeremiah dates his first message like this:

 

Jeremiah 1:2 – Jeremiah to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

Because of this, we know what was going on in the nation when the prophets spoke, and we can surmise a fairly accurate date for their prophecy.  This also aids us in understanding/interpreting their messages.

Zechariah, however, is ministering after the collapse of the monarchy and subsequent captivity, so he dates his messages by the reign of Darius, king of Persia who ruled the Jews at that time.  Haggai, who ministered during the same time frame, also uses the reign of Darius to date his messages (Haggai 1:1). 

Zechariah 1:2 – "The Lord was very angry with your fathers."

For the Jewish people, there was an enormous amount of history included in this very short sentence.  None of the implications of it escaped their attention; indeed, the words of the prophet most assuredly struck terror/dread into the hearts and minds of that generation.

In order for us to understand what is happening, we need to review just a bit of that history.

God promised to give his people a land flowing with milk and honey where they could live in close communion with him, serve him, worship him, and be a blessing to all the nations of the earth.

We know that God kept his promise.  Israel became a nation, and she lived in peace and prosperity for many years.  God blessed her, expanded her territory, and gave her victory over her enemies.  All this time Israel had fellowship with God through sacrifices, offerings, festivals, worship, and keeping the law. 

Although Israel made mistakes along the way, God was willing to hear and forgive when the people repented.  Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, he covered the sin of Israel with the blood of an animal (Leviticus 16:1-30). 

But there was one grievous and persistent sin which eventually led to Israel's downfall: Idolatry.

Jehovah had blessed Israel with every material and spiritual blessing imaginable.  When the Jews turned around and gave the glory/praise/thanksgiving for these blessings to a false idol or demonic spirit, it was a slap in the face to God, and he wasn't going to stand for it. 

That kind of behavior also profaned and disgraced God's holy name in front of the heathen nations.  Instead of being a living witness to the love and mercy of God, Israel became a billboard for serving Satan.  God made it very clear that that behavior made him angry, and he would discipline Israel for it (Deuteronomy 6:12-15, Judges 2:11-15).

But the people of Israel did not listen or heed the warning.  They rebelled against the Lord.  As you read through the books of Judges, Kings and Chronicles, you will find that (with very few exceptions) the nation constantly worshiped Baal, Molech, Chemosh, Ashtoreth and other false gods.

In response, God once again kept his promises – he displaced Judah (and Israel) from their land.  He allowed the vile Babylonians to devastate the land, destroy the temple and burn Jerusalem.  The Jews once again fell into bondage/slavery to a foreign power.  They were no longer self-governing.  They were no longer prosperous.  They were cut off from all forms of fellowship with the Lord (sacrifices, festivals, temple worship, etc) and they had no high priest who could consult the Lord on their behalf:

Hosea 3:4 – For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, without a prince and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod.

At the same time, the Jews suffered a kind of identity crisis.  All Israelites had a very strong sense of national pride.  Being one of God's chosen people and dwelling in the Promised Land was a part of the very fiber of their being.  It was part of their identity as individuals and as a nation.  Banishment from the land struck the very core of who the Israelites believed themselves to be.  Everywhere they turned, they were faced with confusion and chaos. 

All this was the result of God's judgment upon Israel for her idolatry.  The nation had been humbled and humiliated by God, so that he could once again restore fellowship with them.      

This was the devastating history that Zechariah was referring to when he said 'the Lord was angry with your fathers'. 

Now keep in mind that Zechariah was addressing a new generation of Israelites which God brought back to Jerusalem after the 70 year exile.  He instructed them to rebuild the walls of the city and the temple.  They started that task, but due to severe opposition, they never finished.  In response, God sent Zechariah (and Haggai) to stir up or motivate the people to finish their work. 

Zechariah's opening statement no doubt triggered grave concern in the minds of the current generation.  The last thing they wanted to do was provoke God as their forefathers had done.  There can be no doubt that God had their attention!

Zechariah 1:3 – "Therefore say to them, 'Thus declares the Lord of Hosts:  Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of Hosts.'"

Now we see the true reason for striking fear/dread into the minds of the Jews – it instantly captured their attention and put them into a state of willingness to follow the Lord's commands.  In this case, the command is for the people to return to the Lord.

What is meant by that?

God was looking for a sincere state of repentance from his people.  Remember, the Jews willingly returned to the land when God called them, but they soon gave up on God's agenda and became devoted to their own private concerns.  They set about trying establish their own niche in society/culture, and amass their own wealth.  They began to marry heathen women and otherwise forsake the laws of God.    

They claimed to be God's people, but in reality their hearts and minds were far from him. 

It was important for them to understand that God wasn't looking for 'lip service'.  He didn't want Israel to simply go through religious motions; he wanted their hearts and minds to be his.  He wanted to fellowship with them in a true relationship, on the most intimate level possible. 

If Israel truly wanted to be God's people, they needed to return to him body, soul, mind and spirit.  This required not only an acknowledgement of sin, but a change of heart and a commitment to reform their future actions.

The good news is that God assured Israel that if they would turn to him, he would welcome them back; their relationship could be fully restored.    

It's no accident that God referred to himself as 'The Lord of Hosts' three times in this passage.  That title, which is frequently found in both Haggai and Zechariah, implies God's boundless resources and universal power.  Clearly, if Israel was willing to repent, God would once again move on her behalf just as he had done during the conquest of the Promised Land.  He would make Israel successful in all of her endeavors.

Here is something else to consider: God was not asking his people to do the impossible.  The command of God to 'return to me' clearly indicates that the Jews had the power to repent and return to him, if only they would.  In other words, if they would only take advantage of the grace God had already offered to them, God would take them back.

How does this apply to us?

There is no doubt that on an individual basis, God wants a deeper relationship with each one of us.  The apostle James tells us this:

James 4:8 – Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

The interesting thing about this verse is that James is NOT addressing unbelievers.  He is giving a warning to Christians against worldliness. 

The fact is, as Christians we can fall into the same traps as the ancient Israelites did.  We start to mimic the culture around us, instead of presenting a true picture of the holiness of our God.  We have a tendency to devote too much time and energy into acquiring the things of this world, while neglecting the work of the kingdom.

The good news is that God is calling us to return to fellowship with him, just as he called the Israelites:   

Revelation 3:20 – Behold, I [Jesus] stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Again, this verse is not being spoken to unbelievers!  It is spoken to the church of Laodicea; it is directed at Christians.  In light of these verses, it is apparent that each one of us has room to enhance our relationship with God.  Each one of us has been personally invited by the Lord of Hosts to enter a deeper and more intimate relationship with him. 

But it will take repentance on our part – not only a confession of past mistakes, but a change of heart and a commitment to cleanse ourselves of the world and change our actions going forward. 

On the surface, that sounds simple enough.  But practically speaking, it can be very difficult!  If we are honest, all of us probably have some sins in our lives that we don't really want to admit, much less give up. 

Plus, the more we strive for personal holiness, the more different we become from the world and the more we open ourselves up to ridicule or abuse.  But the bottom line is that we must make a choice.

Remember, God's offer implies that he will give us the capacity to change if we desire it.  When we accept his offer to draw closer to him, Holy Spirit will be right beside us, helping to prune those dead spots from our lives, giving us boldness and making us more fruitful for his kingdom. 

Let's also look at this verse through a national lens. 

Just like Israel, America was founded on a covenant with God.  For many years, we kept him at the center of our nation, and we prospered.  But that is no longer the case – we have slipped into idolatry; we now worship money, sex and self gratification.  As a result, violence, corruption, chaos and financial ruin are now at our door.  In my opinion, it is only the grace of God that is keeping our nation from crumbling around us. 

But I believe that the Lord of Hosts is making the same offer to us that he made to Israel.  If we will return to him, he will return to us and heal our land:

II Chronicles 7:14 – If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

This task will be difficult.  It will involve prayer, drawing closer to God and establishing personal holiness.  We will need Holy Spirit to give us supernatural boldness to stand for Christ in a dark culture.

Zechariah 1:4 – "Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, 'Thus says the Lord of Hosts, return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.'"  But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the Lord.

Evil Ways – This phrase refers to all forms of idolatry and idolatrous worship.

Evil Deeds – This refers to all the immorality and other sins/transgressions of the law practiced by the Jews.

Your Fathers – This refers to former leaders and influential people of society who helped determine the course of the nation. This would include the kings, the elders of the nation and even some of the priests.

Zechariah tells us that these leaders were not righteous followers of God.  They had been warned on numerous occasions to turn from their evil ways and serve the Lord, but they refused:  

II Chronicles 36:15-16 – The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.  But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy.

Although we have no way of identifying every idolatrous elder or wayward priest, we can certainly identify some of the kings who led the nation away from God.  These would include Ahab and Jezebel, Omri, Jeroboam son of Nebat, Manasseh, etc. 

Can you name more of the idolatrous leaders of Judah/Israel and give examples of how they sinned?

Former Prophets – Old Testament prophets served in multiple capacities. They predicted coming events, exhorted people to repentance, enforced God's laws, announced judgment for disobedience and served in pastoral roles.

Although Israel had prophets all throughout her history, Zechariah is referring specifically to the prophets who ministered between the time Israel entered the Promised Land and the time she went into captivity. 

This would include Isaiah, Jeremiah and many of the minor prophets such as Hosea, Haggai, and Zechariah.  It also includes prophets who did not have their works preserved in separate biblical books.  Notable Old Testament examples include Elijah, Elisha, Nathan, Azariah, Gad and Micaiah.

The bottom line is that when the leaders of Israel fell into sin and rebellion, God responded by warning them to repent.  It wasn't just a single warning; he sent multiple messages through multiple prophets:

Jeremiah 25:3-6 – "For twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, to this day, the word of the Lord has come to me, and I have spoken persistently to you, but you have not listened.  You have neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear, although the Lord persistently sent to you all his servants the prophets saying, 'Turn now, every one of you, from his evil way and evil deeds do not go after other goes to serve and worship them, or provoke me to anger with the work of your hands.  Then I will do you harm.'"

Despite the warnings of the prophets, the former leaders of Israel did not listen, and eventually they were sent into captivity (Psalms 78:54-61).  This is the point that Zechariah is now making to the current generation of Jews.  They were well aware of the judgment leveled against their ancestors.  Zechariah implores them not to make the same mistake.  They MUST repent and serve the Lord, or judgment will fall upon them too.

Zechariah 1:5 – "Your fathers, where are they?  And the prophets, do they live forever?

This verse has been interpreted in slightly different ways. 

One interpretation, which was favored by the ancient scholars, said that God asks the question 'Your fathers, where are they?' The implication is that the hopes, plans and desires of their ancestors remained unfulfilled because their lives were cut short by their rebellion against the Lord.

In response, the idolatrous Jews answered, 'Do the prophets live forever?'  They seem to push back by saying that the righteous prophets also died prematurely in many instances while leaving behind unfinished plans.  Therefore, there is no real difference between the righteous and the wicked.  

Another interpretation asserts that the prophets mentioned here are not righteous prophets, but false prophets. In this explanation, God is telling the Jews that their idolatrous ancestors and the false prophets they followed were both dead; nothing they did had any lasting value. In fact, their leadership took the nation into captivity. Therefore, if the current generation of the Jews wanted to re-establish the covenant and the nation of Israel, they should renew their commitment to God.

A third interpretation says that the question 'Your fathers where are they?' refers to the tombs of their ancestors.  The implication is that because of their idolatry, the Jews were sent into captivity, and thus they died in a foreign land, which was a great disgrace to the children of Israel.  They brought this fate upon themselves, through their disobedience and refusal to repent.

This theory maintains that the question 'do the prophets live forever?' refers to the fact that after the ministry of Zechariah and Malachi, there were no more prophets until the time of Christ. 

Regardless of which interpretation we choose, the overall meaning becomes clear when we look at verse six:

Zechariah 1:6 - But my words and statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers?  So they repented and said, 'As the Lord of hosts purposed to deal with us for our ways and deeds, so has he dealt with us.'"

 

All men, whether righteous or wicked, will die sooner rather than later and their memories will eventually disappear from the earth.  By contrast, the word of God is permanent and lasting.  It will never fade away or be extinguished and it always proves itself to be true (I Peter 1:24-25). 

In this verse, God is reasoning with his children.  He reminded them of the terrible judgment brought upon their ancestors as a result of rebelling against his laws and statutes.  In fact, after the promised judgments had come to pass and the people were in captivity, even their rebellious forefathers (the ones that were still alive) admitted that God had dealt justly with them.  They suffered, but that suffering was brought about by their own actions. 

And here is the really important part:  Since God does not change, the current generation could expect to experience the same (or worse) judgments if they too rebelled against God.  

Thus, Zechariah's message is really one of mercy, grace and encouragement.  The Jews are once again being given an invitation to repent and embrace the Lord with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength.  If they answer the call, God will bless them as his obedient children.  But if they refuse/rebel, they will not escape judgment any more than their ancestors did (Isaiah 1:16-20).

It was time for God's people to get moving again!

 

Let me offer you some encouragement:

God issued a personal invitation to the people of Israel to return to him.  He wasn't interested in vain religious exercises; he wanted a people who were devoted to having a relationship with him. 

God is making the same offer to us today.  He stands at the door of our heart and knocks, desiring to be admitted into a deeper place in our lives.  Opening the door to him is both simple and difficult, because it will require change in our lives.  But in the end a closer, deeper walk with Christ will be well worth the price! 

 

Let me offer you some relief:

As we noted in today's post, God gives us the capacity to draw closer to him.  As we do, Holy Spirit will actively help us to prune sin out of our lives. 

In the natural realm, you don't prune plants too much at one time, because it will shock and harm the plant.  The same is true in a spiritual sense.

If you feel overwhelmed by the amount of sin that needs pruned from your life, don't despair.  Ask Holy Spirit to help you pick a single thing/area that needs cleaned up and conquer that area before going any further.  Holiness is a process that takes place over time.

 

Let me offer you some strength:

God consistently refers to himself as 'The Lord of Hosts'.  As we mentioned, this implies his boundless resources and universal power. To put it another way, nothing is impossible for God!

God called Zechariah to a destiny that was impossible in his own strength.  But the prophet was successful because he trusted and followed the Lord of Hosts.

What is God calling you to do?  My guess is that it will be just as impossible as the task set before Zechariah.  But if you will surrender to the Lord of Hosts, he will cause you to succeed too!  

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Welcome back, readers! Two weeks ago, I decided that we would study the book of James. But the more I tried to make that happen, the more I realized Holy Spirit wanted to do something else.

At his prompting, we are going to switch gears and take a look at the Old Testament book of Zechariah.

When was the last time you read or studied the Old Testament book of Zechariah? If the answer is 'never' or 'a long time ago', then I think you will find our current study interesting.

Zechariah is considered one of the Minor prophets. What does that mean?

For our own ease, we classify the Old Testament prophets into two categories:  Major prophets and Minor prophets.  This designation has nothing to do with the importance or significance of their messages.  The difference between the two it is nothing more than the amount or volume of written work that is present in the scriptures.     

Thus, the longer books (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and Ezekiel) are considered Major prophets, while the smaller works (the last 12 books of the Old Testament, including Zechariah) are considered Minor prophets.

Is it worthwhile to study the Minor Prophets?

Many people hesitate to study the Minor prophets. They either feel that the messages are not applicable to the current generation, or that the works are too difficult to understand. Let's briefly address those issues.

Like all prophetic words, Zechariah's messages will have multiple fulfillments. As we will see, the word he gave clearly had a significant fulfillment or meaning for the people of that day. But because of the astonishing greatness of Holy Spirit, that same message will also have multiple fulfillments in the generations after Zechariah's death.

So, is God speaking to this generation through Zechariah?  The only way to know for sure is to study his message!

Will we understand every single facet of this Old Testament book? No, we definitely will not. But I would argue that the same is true for any book of the Bible. Have you ever read a particular portion of scripture "a million times" only to find that Holy Spirit suddenly reveals something new to you through that passage? Did you subsequently wonder why you never saw that truth before?

We should not be surprised when this occurs; it is the work of Holy Spirit.  He searches the mind of the Father and reveals things to us so our understanding is increased.      

I Corinthians 2:10-12 – For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.  For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him?  So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.  Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.  

In other words, as we study and seek understanding from the word of God, Holy Spirit will reveal greater, deeper and more complex truths to us.  He will give us timely understanding of the kingdom principles that apply to our generation.  Thus, we will always benefit from studying scripture, even if we don't fully understand every single aspect of it.

When did Zechariah prophesy?

Zechariah, the author of the book bearing his name, includes a few dates within his work.  The first date corresponds to October/November of 520 BC.  A few months later (February of 519 BC), he gave a series of eight visions.  He gives yet another word from the Lord in December of 518 BC.  However, no dates are given in chapters 9-14. 

All we know for sure is that his ministry lasted at least two years, but probably more.  There may have been a gap of time after chapter 8 and before chapters 9-14.

Why did Zechariah prophesy?

God called Zechariah (and Haggai) to encourage the remnant of Jews who had returned to Jerusalem from captivity. God called these Jews for a special mission – to rebuild his temple and the walls of Jerusalem.

But due to opposition (see discussion below), the work had all but stopped. In fact, no progress had been made on the temple foundation for almost sixteen years! It was time for the people to lean into God and finish their task; God sent his prophets to encourage the people and get them moving once again.

Who was Zechariah speaking to when he delivered his messages/visions?

He spoke directly to Zerubbabel the governor, Joshua the high priest and the people who had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple.

In a broader sense, we could say that Zechariah spoke to the civil/judicial authorities, the religious leaders and all the believers dedicated to doing the work of the Lord.

Historically speaking, what was happening with Israel when Zechariah gave his message?

Let's take a brief look at the history of Israel.  The Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament) gives us the details of how God formed the nation of Israel.  The book of Joshua shows us how God fulfilled his promises to Israel by helping them conquer the Promised Land. 

Once the land was subdued and Joshua died, the Israelites fell into a detestable pattern of serving idols, getting into trouble, repenting, and asking God to deliver them.  In his great mercy, God raised up a series of judges who delivered the nation from foreign oppression over and over again (see the book of Judges). 

Eventually, when Samuel was leading Israel (I and II Samuel), they begged God for a king.  God granted that request, even though it was not his perfect will for Israel. 

The era of the kings (I & II Kings, I & II Chronicles) began with King Saul.  Subsequently, the kingship passed to David, then to Solomon, then to Solomon's son Rehoboam.  Under his leadership (or lack of it) Israel split into two separate kingdoms – Israel and Judah (Jerusalem and the temple were located in Judah).

Both kingdoms eventually went into exile and captivity due to continued idolatry. Israel fell to the Assyrians in 722 BC. Judah fell to the Babylonians in 586 BC.

After a 70-year period of exile/captivity (Jeremiah 25:11-12, Daniel 9:2, II Chronicles 36:31), God miraculously caused Cyrus king of Persia to release the Jews so they could return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple (Ezra 1:1-11). 

Those who wished to return to their native land were allowed to leave.  Eventually, they returned to Jerusalem in three main waves and began to rebuild the temple and the walls of Jerusalem (Ezra, Nehemiah).

When the Jews first returned to Jerusalem, they experienced many difficulties. The area was governed by Gentiles who opposed the rebuilding of the temple and the walls of Jerusalem. These Gentiles now had control of the region and they did not want to surrender it to God's people.

They attacked/opposed the Jews in three main ways:  

• The Gentiles publicly taunted, ridiculed and mocked the Jews in an attempt to discourage them from completing their mission (Nehemiah 4:1-3).

• The Gentiles physically threatened the Jews to the point where work on the walls was carried out with one man working while his partner literally guarded him with a sword.

Nehemiah 4:16 - And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants worked in the work, and the other half of them held the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the armor.

• The Gentiles legally blocked the work of the Jews at every opportunity. Through false accusations and lawsuits, they halted/delayed work on the temple for years.

Eventually God' people grew disheartened and stopped work altogether.  The end result was that the Jews were financially poor, mentally burned out, spiritually discouraged and completely hopeless.  Even the Samaritans gave them trouble!  The Jews were outnumbered and overwhelmed; it didn't look like they would ever be victorious and accomplish the work God had set before them.

But, hallelujah, that was not the end of the story!

God began to move in their midst in powerful and miraculous ways:

• He raised up holy priests and teachers (like Joshua and Ezra) to lead the nation into repentance.
• He provided courageous leaders/governors and judges (like Zerubbabel) to establish the civil and judicial authority of the Jews.
• He moved upon the hearts of wealthy individuals to give money and supplies to the Jews.
• He gave the Jews legal victories in the lawsuits their enemies filed against them.
• He spoke through prophets like Haggai and Zechariah to give the Jews words of comfort, encouragement, and instruction.

With the help of God, the Jews did indeed accomplish all that God had given them to do.

What does this have to do with us?

Do you see any parallels between the situation of the Jews during the time of Zechariah and the situation of the American church today? 

In Zechariah's time, God called his faithful followers to build his temple/house in Jerusalem. Today, he is calling his faithful followers to build his church/house by bringing sinners to salvation. The harvest is plentiful; we must diligently work to bring it into God's storehouse, even in the midst of opposition.

In Zechariah's time, Gentiles opposed God's people by mocking/taunting them, legally blocking/harassing them and even physically harming them.  In our generation, non-believers regularly mock and taunt Christians in public and private forums.  We have many instances where our own government has blocked, penalized or harassed Christians because of their beliefs.  While Christians are not physically persecuted in America yet, there are those who would welcome that chance.      

In Zechariah's day, God called his people to repent and live lives of holiness before him.  What about today?  Is there a substantial difference between the world and the church?  Should we be concerned about repentance and holy living?

In Zechariah's day, victory over the forces of evil looked impossible.  But nothing is impossible with God!  He motivated, strengthened and blessed his people.  Because the Jews leaned upon God, they were victorious.  They built the house of God, despite the work of the enemy.  

What does the situation in America look like today? It may seem like evil is in control, but get ready – God is going to give his church victory in this generation!

If you feel like God may be speaking to our generation through the book of Zechariah, then I invite you to continue this study with me. Let's find out what wisdom, truth and spiritual strategies he wants to impart to us, so we can build the temple/church of God by winning the lost to Christ.

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Joshua 24:14 – Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness.  Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord."

Chapter 24 contains the farewell address of Joshua to the children of Israel. In the first portion of the chapter, Joshua rehearses the history of Israel before the people.  He begins at the beginning – when God called Abraham out of idolatry and promised to establish a new nation through his offspring (Genesis 15:4-7).

He goes on to mention the patriarchs, the years of slavery in Egypt, the miraculous exodus and the astonishing conquest of the Promised Land.

The purpose behind this history lesson is to point out that it was Jehovah who had done all these things for Israel. Without him, they would not exist. Without him, the nation would never have survived. Without him, they would never have left Egypt. Without him they would not be standing before Joshua on that very day, while dwelling in the Promised Land.

Furthermore, God had entered into a covenant with Israel.  He bound himself to be their strength, their shield and their provider.  He would bless them in all things.  In return, Israel was to be faithful to him, and display the glory and mercy of God to all the heathen nations.  They would be the family line through which God would bring his Messiah into the world to redeem mankind (Genesis 12:1-3).

With this in mind, we circle back to the words of Joshua in verse 14: 'Therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and truth'.

Fear the Lord – In this case, 'fear' means to respect or revere. God's people should revere him as the sole object of their worship.

Serve him – Israel was to obey the commands of the Lord according to the covenant they made with him. They were never to serve or bind themselves to false idols.

In sincerity and in truth – Israel was not to just mechanically go through the motions of serving the Lord and adhering to religious rites. Rather, their whole hearts and minds should be actively engaged in worshiping God according to the covenant.

If they wanted to serve God in that fashion, they would have to forsake any and all traces of idolatry that had crept into their lives.  Let's consider that for a moment.

Israel had been faced with false idols for their entire existence. As we noted last week, God called Abraham out from a life of idol worship. These were the gods of the Chaldeans who worshiped fire, light and the sun.

Israel was also very familiar with the multiple gods of Egypt – Apis, Anubis, Ra, etc. Did you ever wonder why God used the 10 plagues to ensure the freedom of Israel, rather than just bringing them out instantly at his command?

It's because each of the plagues was essentially a showdown between Jehovah and one of the main Egyptian gods.  In each case, Israel witnessed in a dramatic (and memorable) fashion that their God, Jehovah, was more powerful than any of the idols Egypt served.  In fact, it proved that Egypt's idols were not gods at all; they could do nothing to help the Egyptians.

Israel was also acquainted with the gods of the Canaanites, Moabites, and other people groups inhabiting the Promised Land.  These included Astarte/Venous, Baal and others.   

Here we find a clear implication that while Joshua prevented all public displays of idolatry there were no doubt some Israelites who practiced idolatry privately in their homes and/or businesses.

What would make Israel look to these idols?  Perhaps it was their familiarity with them, or perhaps it was because each of these false gods had a tangible form or representation which they could see/imagine.  Perhaps they fell into the trap of believing in multiple gods.  But regardless of the reason, in light of all the astonishing miracles Israel had seen, there could be no excuse for idolatry.

Joshua 24:15 – "And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

When Joshua exhorts the people to 'choose' who they will serve, this was a rhetorical statement which implies that the true worship of Jehovah was the only real choice in this matter.  The worship/service of idols was so absurd and useless that, given a choice, no one in their right mind would choose the idol. 

Nevertheless, the Israelites are not forcibly compelled to serve God; they can indeed choose to serve a false god. This actually makes perfect sense, because God has always given man a free will; his desire is that we serve him willingly because we love him, not because we are forced to do so. This is the kind of true relationship God desires to have with us.

Because of the liberty God has given to us, no one becomes a Christian by accident. It doesn't happen because your parents or grandparents serve the Lord. It doesn't happen because you attend church or live in a Christian home.  Salvation requires a conscious act of will by each person who desires to serve Christ.

Romans 10:9 – if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.  

Because salvation takes a conscious act of the will, indecision is essentially a decision to reject salvation.  If a person continually puts off making a decision for Christ, it's the same as making the absurd choice to reject God. 

While we don't understand every single principle or doctrine of Christ, we know enough to choose spiritual life over spiritual death.  Advanced spiritual understanding is a journey we embark upon after salvation, not before.  Lack of full understanding is not a reason to reject God, neither is it a good reason to delay making a commitment.

In fact, there is absolutely NO reason to delay.  Salvation is easy and simple to obtain.  Choosing to serve the Lord will bring eternal life and peace.  Choosing a false god (or choosing nothing) will lead to eternal death and despair. 

Critics and unbelievers have often condemned God for 'sending people to hell', when in reality he does no such thing – He made salvation available to all; it is up to each one of us to choose where we will spend eternity.  Those who have chosen to reject Jesus have chosen to go to hell themselves.

Joshua makes it very clear that he and his household/family have chosen to serve the living God, and he admonishes the rest of Israel to join him.

Joshua 24:16-18 – Then the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed.  And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land.  Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God."

The Israelites affirm their decision to completely and whole-heartedly serve the Lord and reject false idols. They are obviously sincere in their commitment:

• They acknowledged the miracles God had performed on their behalf.
• They admit that his protection and guidance had delivered them from all their enemies.
• They know their victories were only achieved by his might and power.
• When presented with the choice, they willingly and freely acknowledge Jehovah as God and pledge to serve him.

As we will soon see, their commitment lasted all the days of Joshua and the elders who outlived him.  However, the day would come when they fell into apostasy and tried to merge idolatry with the true service of God.  What would cause this to happen?  How could they fall from the position of sincerity into idolatry?

It has often been remarked that the real test of our faithfulness to God is not our ability to serve him in moments of trial and testing, but to steadfastly serve him during the ease and commonality of day-to-day life. 

For instance, it was not hard for Israel to cling to the Lord as they left Egypt or wandered in the wilderness or fought for the Promised Land.  They were close to God because the power of their foes plainly revealed that they had no hope except in Him; God alone ensured their very survival. 

In other words, it was easier for the current generation of Israelites to remain faithful the Lord, because these memories were fresh in their minds.  Plus, they realized there were still battles in their future.  They knew they were going to need God again very shortly as they continued to claim the land. 

But once that generation was gone and the next one found itself in comparative ease and prosperity, they began to mistakenly believe that they could rule, defend and expand the nation in their own strength. Foolishly, they thought they could provide for all their own needs. Essentially, they didn't need God so much anymore.

That was a very serious problem and here is why:  God created man with a built-in need/desire to worship and serve him.  As we already mentioned, man can choose not to worship God, however, man CANNOT simply remove his need to worship something.       

This opened the door for Israel to succumb to the temptations of idolatry, self-indulgence and lust.  Although they never rejected God outright, they corrupted and degraded his pure worship by adding elements of idolatry to it.  This was an abomination in God's sight and a direct violation of the covenant.   

Eventually, this led them into captivity, where they lost every blessing the Lord had given them.

What about our own lives?  Is there a lesson here for us?

I believe there is.  We all wish for lives of ease, comfort and peace; no one I know desires to experience hardships or trials.

Yet, God accomplishes A LOT of good in our lives during these times: 

• Trials cause us to realize we need the Lord.
• Trials cause us to draw closer to him and seek his guidance, provision and protection.
• Trials increase our faith.
• Trials result in testimonies that witness to the lost and encourage believers.

Colossians 4:2-3, 5 - Continue in prayer, and watch in it with thanksgiving; praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: walk in wisdom toward them that are outsiders, redeeming the time.

Trials also remind us that we need to redeem or make the best use of our time.  There are two kingdoms here on planet earth, and we need to be actively involved in the spiritual realm.

As soldiers of the cross, we must view each and every day here on earth as a day of 'active duty' in which we strive to further the kingdom of God by rescuing sinners from darkness. If trials and tribulations assist us in staying true to this mission, then they aid in our eternal good.

Joshua 24:19-20 – But Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God.  He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.  If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good."

Joshua's purpose in gathering the nation at Shechem was to get them to recommit themselves to their covenant with God. Since that is the case, it seems odd that he would openly declare that they were 'not able to serve the Lord'. It seems as though he is discouraging them from the very thing he called them together to do. However, that was not the case.

Picture the scene with me: Joshua looks at the Ark of the Covenant and recognizes that God's covenant is holy, just and good. At the same time, he also sees the mass of imperfect humanity before him, which is utterly unable to keep the stern morality and rigorous commands of the law.

It becomes clear to Joshua that faithful service to the Lord required commitment, courage and resolution.  In addition, the spiritually undisciplined people would have to conquer numerous temptations and evil tendencies in order to faithfully cleave to God.

Thus, we see that his statement is meant as a kind of challenge to stir zeal up within the hearts of the people to remain faithful to the Lord.  He wants them to recognize that it was impossible for them to keep the law with their own strength and ability; it could only be accomplished through divine assistance and mental determination.

Furthermore, Israel needs to be reminded that God is jealous.  He has no equal and he will not share his glory with another, especially false idols:

Isaiah 42:8 - I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

It was (and is) blasphemy to give idols the worship that only God deserves.  As Joshua just illustrated for the nation, it was God who formed them, God who multiplied them, God who  protected them, God who entered into a covenant with them, God who blessed them and God who brought them into the Promised Land.  To give or share the glory due to God with a false idol was to profane/blaspheme the name of God (Exodus 20:3).

Finally, Joshua warns the Israelites that if they committed themselves to the covenant but broke that promise by worshiping idols, God would surely bring disaster upon them:

Deuteronomy 8:19 - And it shall be, if you do at all forget the LORD your God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish.

Israel needed to remember that God is always faithful to his promises, and he promised (numerous times) to remove them from the land and bring disaster upon them if they served idols (Deuteronomy 28:15-68, Deuteronomy 30:17-18, Jeremiah 1:14-16 etc). 

Joshua 24:21 – And the people said to Joshua, "No, but we will serve the Lord." Then Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him." And they said, "We are witnesses."

In our day, people legally bind themselves to contracts by the use of their signature. If you sign your name to a legal document (even electronically), you are bound by the conditions of the contract.  If you fail to keep your part of the bargain, legal/punitive action can be taken against you.

In the same way, after a full explanation of their responsibilities, (especially that of forsaking idols), the people of Israel universally agree to serve God.  Their pronouncement was made of their own free will, on a solemn public occasion.  This declaration amounted to the same thing as a legal signature in our society.

Just to be clear, Joshua informs them once again that their words are legally binding – they agree to worship and serve no other god but Jehovah.  If they do not keep their word, God can take punitive action against them. 

Joshua 24:23-24 – He said, "Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel."  And the people said to Joshua, "The Lord our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey."

Joshua's response to the people raises an interesting question – Is he commanding them to remove idols/foreign gods which they currently have in their homes or is he admonishing them to resist their temptations to embrace these idols in the future?

Truthfully, it could have been both.

It is no secret that at other times in Israel's history they publicly claimed to serve God, while at the same time some of them had common household gods which they secretly worshiped:

Genesis 35:4 – And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all the earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.

(See also Genesis 31:19, etc). Obviously, the Israelites found many idols as they plundered the cities of Canaan, which they may have chosen to retain, rather than destroying them. Some scholars suggest that the Israelites may have still been in possession of idols which they took from Egypt. In either case, Israel certainly access to idols.

Commentators who hold this view (that Israel was currently worshiping actual idols) believe idolatry of this kind never really ceased in ancient Israel.  At times it would get worse, and at times the people would repent and distance themselves from these evil practices, but they believe idolatry pervasively continued at all times within the nation.

Other scholars believe that the phrase 'among you' should be translated 'within you' and therefore Joshua is referring to the inclination/desire of the people to worship these gods.   In their view, Joshua is not speaking about actual idols the people possessed, but he is referring to the thoughts and intents of their hearts. 

They point out that after the terrifying demise of Achan (Joshua 7), the people did not dare to harbor idols in their midst, as nothing could be hidden from the Lord who sees what is done in secret. 

Therefore, they believe that Joshua's statement simply means that the people were to renounce all idols, clear themselves of all defilement and worship God in purity and truth.  They key to doing so was to love God with all of their hearts.  If they truly loved God to that degree, it would be easy to reject idolatry and cling to the Lord.

Perhaps the real lesson here is that the spiritual and physical aspects of our lives cannot actually be separated, because whatever is in our hearts is what will manifest in our lives:

Matthew 12:34 -  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Luke 6:43, 45 – For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

In the case of Israel, the putting away of false idols/gods was to be the outward, visible sign that their hearts and minds fully belonged to the Lord. Likewise, the fruit we bear in our lives, whether evil or good, reflects whether or not we are serving God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength.

However the people of Israel understood Joshua's words, they freely/willingly declared their allegiance to the Lord. They committed themselves to obeying his word and serving him only.

Joshua 24:25-26 – So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem.  And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God.  And he took a large stone and set it up there under the terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the Lord.

This is the outcome that Joshua was seeking when he called Israel to this gathering.  After delivering the word of the Lord to the nation (verses 1-13), he asked them to recommit/rededicate themselves to God.  This was done through a renewal of the covenant.

This was not the first time the covenant had been renewed.  The people had recommitted themselves to the Lord under Moses after the 40-year desert wandering (Deuteronomy 29).

Neither would this be the last time Israel renewed the covenant with God.  Subsequent renewals were made under the reigns of King Asa (II Chronicles 15:12-13), King Joash (II Chronicles 23:16), and King Josiah (II Chronicles 34:31-32).

The 'statutes and rules' mentioned here were nothing new; they were the requirements of the original covenant that the people were already familiar with. The decision of the people was officially recorded by Joshua in a sacred book and then signed by the elders of the people.

In the original language, it literally states that Joshua 'cut' a covenant. This indicates that sacrifices were included in the renewal of the covenant.

In addition, (probably because there was only one copy of the document), Joshua ordered a large stone or pillar to be set up on public land.  The stone/pillar was most likely covered with a thin coat of mortar, then engraved with language which declared that at such and such a time and place, the covenant was renewed between Israel and Jehovah; details could be found in the book of the law (Deuteronomy 31:26).

This stone/pillar was a powerful witness or testimony to what had taken place between Israel and the Lord. 

Joshua 24:27-28 – And Joshua said to all the people, "Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord that he spoke to us. Therefore it shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with your God." So Joshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance.

It was not uncommon for the people of the ancient east to personify or assign character traits (such as hearing, seeing or speaking) to inanimate objects, as Joshua does here (the proper term is prosopopoeia). 

Another example of this is when Jacob and Laban made a pact with each other, and raised up a heap of stones as a witness to their agreement (Genesis 31:45).  See also Isaiah 1:2, Jeremiah 2:12, etc.

So, in this scenario, if the Israelites break their covenant with God or disobey the commands of the Lord which they promised to keep, the stone itself would serve as a witness against them.  It would testify to their unrighteousness, just as a witness testifies in a court of law.

Therefore, the stone was to be a memorial to both present and future generations; it would remind them of their covenant with God, and thus prevent them from falling into apostasy, idolatry, atheism or false worship.  

Once the ceremonies were complete, Joshua dismissed the people to return to their homes.  He had done everything within his power to keep Israel faithful to the Lord.  Now it was time for him to enter his eternal rest.

Joshua 24:29-30 – After these things, Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died being 110 years old. And they buried him in his own inheritance at Timnath-serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash.

Joshua did a lot of amazing things in his life.  He could be described as a general, a vice president (aka Moses' assistant), an advisor, a giant slayer, and many other wonderful things.  But at his funeral, he is best remembered as 'the servant of the Lord'.  Wow!  What a testimony to the way Joshua lived his life!  I don't know about you, but I hope people can say that about me after I die!  

Having completed the work which God assigned to him, Joshua now enters into his eternal rest/reward.

Revelation 14:13 - And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on: Yea, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.

Interestingly, there is no record of any public mourning for this great leader, as there was for Aaron (Numbers 20:29) or Moses (Deuteronomy 34:8).  No one really knows why this was the case.  It may be attributed to the fact that he was buried on his own private land, or it may simply be that the author leaves this information out of the text.

Joshua 24:31 – Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the work that the Lord did for Israel.

As we mentioned previously, the generation that saw/experienced the miracles of God firsthand remained faithful to him.  However, the generation that grew up without much hardship was the generation that drifted away from the Lord.

Joshua 24:32 – As for the bones of Joseph, which the people of Israel brought up from Egypt, they buried them at Shechem, in the piece of land that Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of shechem for a hundred pieces of money.  It became an inheritance of the descendents of Joseph.

At the very end of this book, we have a couple pieces of information that seem to be added to the text by someone other than Joshua.  One of them deals with the bones of Joseph.

In Genesis 50:22-26, Joseph is about to die. He makes the children of Israel swear an oath that when they leave the land of Egypt, they will dig up his bones and take them into the Promised Land.  And sure enough, we find that the children of Israel honored this last wish of Joseph. They finally entombed his remains in the historic town of Shechem.

Joshua 24:33 – And Eleazar the son of Aaron died, and they buried him at Gibeah, the town of Phinehas his son, which had been given him in the hill country of Ephraim.

For some reason, note is also made of the death of Eleazar the priest.  Perhaps he is mentioned because of the work he did in assisting Joshua to divide up the land.  He may also have been mentioned because the writer is showing that all of the famous leaders of the old generation were dying. 

Thus, the next generation is left with an amazing inheritance, a covenant with the Lord and the godly example of their ancestors. What they did (or did not do) with these advantages is a story for another day!

Let me offer you some encouragement, relief and strength:

In this chapter, Joshua reiterates the fact that each of us has a choice to make.  He chose to serve the Lord, and his choice was reflected in the way he lived his life.  Once his life was finished, he entered into an eternal state of rest and reward.

What about you?  Have you made a commitment to follow Christ?  Have you accepted him as Lord and Savior of your life?   If you died today, would you enter eternal rest and reward or eternal torment?

You can make a conscious decision to follow Christ by praying a prayer of salvation right now:

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!