Zechariah 1:7-2:13
“Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white.” (Zechariah 1:7-8)
Five months after they had resumed construction on the Temple, God sent Zechariah the following prophecy. It would still be several months before there could be a response to the letter by Tatnai and the other governors challenging the Jews’ right to build the temple. This prophecy would serve to encourage them that there was more involved than just construction of the temple itself.
“Then said I, O my lord, what are these?
And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will show thee what these be.
And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.
And they answered the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.
Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?” (Zechariah 1:9-12
Zechariah had seen a vision of a man on a red horse among some trees, with a group on red, dappled or spotted and white horses behind him. When he asked who they were he was told these were Angels who were kind of like security guards, watching to see that nothing goes wrong and to intervene if something happened. They were reporting that nothing was happening.
The Angel revealing the vision then asked when Israel would be freed from their judgment. They had had been punished for seventy years, but even twenty years after release from captivity, were still struggling just to survive.
“And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.
So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.
Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem. Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.” (Zechariah 1:13-17)
God’s response was that he was protective of Jerusalem and Judah like a mother of her child when other kids pick on them. He was angry with the people who were content to sit by and make fun of their efforts to rebuild the temple and Jerusalem, and deliberately interfere from time to time.
God has committed to intervening on Judah’s behalf, and they will successfully rebuild. The temple will be completed, and the cities of Judah will be prosperous because of his blessing. Once again Jerusalem will be a place known as God’s city.
“Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns. And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these?
And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.
And the LORD showed me four carpenters. Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.” (Zechariah 1:18-21)
The four horns are symbolic of the four kingdoms that have scattered Judah and taken away her pride. The four carpenters are ones God has sent to cut them down and destroy their power because they have thought to destroy Israel by scattering the people.
“I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand. Then said I, Whither goest thou?
And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.
And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him, And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein: For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.” (Zechariah 2:1-5)
In those days, even huge cities such as Babylon were fortified to deter attacks by opposing forces. God was sending a surveyor to measure the city because the population would be too large to fortify successfully. Instead Jerusalem would be like a small unfortified town with God providing the protection, as a wall of fire around it and with him as the focus of the city. This prophecy goes far beyond their immediate situation, reaching far into the future.
“Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD. Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.” (Zechariah 2:6-8)
The Assyrians had deliberately scattered the Jews, and Babylon had established several colonies. The scattering would continue through the Greek and Roman periods. One day they would be called back from the northern lands mentioned in Daniel 11, and God would judge the nations which had done so because of his love for Israel.
“For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD. And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee. And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again. Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.” (Zechariah 2:9-13)
When God fulfills his purpose all the nations will turn to God, worshipping him in Jerusalem. This is a prophecy closely related to that in Revelation 21, about the New Jerusalem.
“Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white.” (Zechariah 1:7-8)
Five months after they had resumed construction on the Temple, God sent Zechariah the following prophecy. It would still be several months before there could be a response to the letter by Tatnai and the other governors challenging the Jews’ right to build the temple. This prophecy would serve to encourage them that there was more involved than just construction of the temple itself.
“Then said I, O my lord, what are these?
And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will show thee what these be.
And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.
And they answered the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.
Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?” (Zechariah 1:9-12
Zechariah had seen a vision of a man on a red horse among some trees, with a group on red, dappled or spotted and white horses behind him. When he asked who they were he was told these were Angels who were kind of like security guards, watching to see that nothing goes wrong and to intervene if something happened. They were reporting that nothing was happening.
The Angel revealing the vision then asked when Israel would be freed from their judgment. They had had been punished for seventy years, but even twenty years after release from captivity, were still struggling just to survive.
“And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.
So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.
Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem. Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.” (Zechariah 1:13-17)
God’s response was that he was protective of Jerusalem and Judah like a mother of her child when other kids pick on them. He was angry with the people who were content to sit by and make fun of their efforts to rebuild the temple and Jerusalem, and deliberately interfere from time to time.
God has committed to intervening on Judah’s behalf, and they will successfully rebuild. The temple will be completed, and the cities of Judah will be prosperous because of his blessing. Once again Jerusalem will be a place known as God’s city.
“Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns. And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these?
And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.
And the LORD showed me four carpenters. Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.” (Zechariah 1:18-21)
The four horns are symbolic of the four kingdoms that have scattered Judah and taken away her pride. The four carpenters are ones God has sent to cut them down and destroy their power because they have thought to destroy Israel by scattering the people.
“I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand. Then said I, Whither goest thou?
And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.
And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him, And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein: For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.” (Zechariah 2:1-5)
In those days, even huge cities such as Babylon were fortified to deter attacks by opposing forces. God was sending a surveyor to measure the city because the population would be too large to fortify successfully. Instead Jerusalem would be like a small unfortified town with God providing the protection, as a wall of fire around it and with him as the focus of the city. This prophecy goes far beyond their immediate situation, reaching far into the future.
“Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD. Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.” (Zechariah 2:6-8)
The Assyrians had deliberately scattered the Jews, and Babylon had established several colonies. The scattering would continue through the Greek and Roman periods. One day they would be called back from the northern lands mentioned in Daniel 11, and God would judge the nations which had done so because of his love for Israel.
“For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD. And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee. And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again. Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.” (Zechariah 2:9-13)
When God fulfills his purpose all the nations will turn to God, worshipping him in Jerusalem. This is a prophecy closely related to that in Revelation 21, about the New Jerusalem.
No comments:
Post a Comment