Category: Zechariah

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let me offer you some encouragement:

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

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

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

Let me offer you some relief:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let me offer you some strength:

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

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

   

Zechariah 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.      

 

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!

 

 

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 plum 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.

 

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!

 

 

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!