Zechariah means the "the Lord remembers". He was a young man in his ministry; having returned from exile at a young age with his grandfather. His ministry was entirely during this brief time encrouraging the rebuilding of the temple. It was no more than two years. Tradition says that he was a member of the Great Synagogue, a council of 120 that originated by Nehemiah, that later became the Sanhedrin. The book was written in 520 BC.
The first part of the book details 8 different visions that appear to have been had in one night.
Zehariah 1:1-4
Zechariah reminded the people that God had been very angry with their fathers. They had turned away from God, ignored the repeated warnings and pleadings of God through the prophets. They had turned their back on God, He finally allowed them to have what they wanted, other things, other priorites, not Him.
The primary message of the book is a call to repentance. Zechariah commands the people to return to God, then God would return to them. They were free to choose. God offered them a promise if they would simply turn to Him.
In verse four, we see the people did not 'hear nor heed' God. (The word hear means heed; the word heed means hear.) To 'hear' was to receive the instruction and respond while the 'heed' is to hear, incline or hearken to what is head.
Zehariah 1:5-6
The fathers were dead. The prophets had also went on. The words and statutes of the Lord are His law and His ways; all the words of the law and prophets. These words and the rubble of the destroyed city and temple around them stood as testimony against their fathers. When judgment can and Jerusalem fell, the exiles went to captivity repenting. They essentially acknowledge that they got what they deserved.
Zechariah warns them not to be like their fathers.
Zehariah 1:7-17
Vision #1:
The Angel of the Lord on the red horse could be Jesus Christ. He's called a man in verse 8 and then an angel in verse 9. The red horse represents blood and judgment. The others were on red, sorrel and white horses. These colors seem to be important, maybe just to show a difference in purpose and method of the angels riding them. If the colors have meaning, we have to see the red as the blood of judgment. This is consistent with other passages in the bible. The white horse is victory or purity. Then we are left to figure out what the sorrel horse may mean. Some suggest a transition color.
The interpreting angel presents the vision to Zechariah. It's the angel of the Lord that confirms their purpose is patroling of the earth to do God's will. This has a angelic military feel about it.
The setting is among the Myrtle trees in a ravine. Myrtle's were associated with the Feast of Booths and messianic blessings. The booths celebrate deliverance from Egypt. The ravine is a low point. Misler sees this as Israel at a low point in history with Jesus among them.
God's people were at a low point in history. They were coming out of captivity. Their cities and temple lay in ruins. They were being opposed and terrorized. This brought on fear and they were unsure about their future. The world was at peace while Israel was in turmoil.
The angel asks how long God not have compassion for his people. And God answered in grace. God is jealous for Jerusalem and Zion. Israel is the apple of his eye and God identifies himself with and by Israel. He has revealed himself through the Jews and they were his chosen people to do this. But when they rebelled against him His anger and wrath came on them. The nations were used as God's tool of judgment against Israel but they did so with evil intentions. God says he'll return with compassion and rebuild it.
As God's people suffer in contrast to the peace and safety of the world, God is among them, with compassion and mercy. He is their comfort and hope both now and in the future. This hope is received by vision, in context of Zechariah's instruction to return to the Lord and He would wreturn to them.
There seems to be the sense that when God's people are present there won't be inactivity among the nations. In fact, the presence of Israel, as well as the church, seems to stir and agitate the nations. A day will come when the nations will cry 'peace and safety'; this may be their justification for eliminating God's people. It is then that sudden destruction will come upon them (1 Thess 5:3).
Zechariah 1:18-21
Vision #2:
Horns are symbolic of pride, political and miliary power. The horns which have scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem could be Assyria, Babylon, Greece and Rome. Then there are 4 craftsmen – translates to stone cutters, metal workers and wood workers. These craftsmen or 'smiths' who "hammer" material into shape overthrow the 4 horns. Babylon was a horn that over threw Israel and became a world power; Persia was the horn that became the craftsman that overthrew Babylon. Greece was a horn that became the craftsman to overthrow Persia. Rome was the horn that was the craftsman to overthrow Greece. Who is the 4th craftsman? Rome was not overthrown, but will be revived and overthrown by a carpenter (craftsman). The messiah is the ultimate and final craftsman.
The point of the vision is that for every horn there is a carpenter. The Lord uses carpenters with different skills and tools. Isaiah confirms the same thought:
16 "Behold, I have created the blacksmith
Who blows the coals in the fire,
Who brings forth an instrument for his work;
And I have created the spoiler to destroy.
17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,"
Says the Lord. (Is 54:16-17)
"And then he finds the right men; not four gentlemen with pens to write; not four architects to draw plans, but four mechanics to do rough work. He who wants to open an oyster, must not use a razor: there needs less of daintiness, and more of force, for some works: providence does not find gentlemen to cut off the horns, but carpenters. The work needs a man who, when he has his work to do, puts his whole strength into it, and beats away with his hammer, or cuts through the wood that lays before him with might and main. Rest assured, you who tremble for the ark of God, that when the horns grow troublesome, the carpenters will be found." (Spurgeon)
Zechariah 2:1-5
Vision #3:
Rebuild the temple or rebuild the wall to protect the rebuilding of the temple? This was the conflict they faced in Zechariah's time. They were paralyzed with fear and were building neither. It's easy to find ourselves 'waiting' on the Lord when He has already called us to obedience. We aren't waiting to hear from Him, we are waiting for Him to remove all threats, all discomfort, and all risk so we might step forward with our weak faith. God's calls us to obedience in the face of trying circumstances so we might see His grace and power displayed in our life.
The man with the measuring line is representative of restoration and rebuilding. He answers Zechariah's question directly. The man was going to Jerusalem, this city that lay in ruins and brought to mind the weakness of the people, this disobedience and the judgment of God. Any human might look at it and ask, "How can it ever be rebuilt in the presence of the enemies?"
This message of the man offers hope in the rebuilding when an angel comes out (Comes out of what or where?) to offer hope of a future. Not only will the temple be rebuilt, but the city will be rebuilt in such mangnificence that it cannot be contained within walls. What an amazing thought this must have been to Zechariah. The few thousand trying to stay focused on rebuilding the temple were bouncing around this great city, not even coming close to having enough people to populate it, let alone guard it. The city would be prosperous and large and have God's hand of protection. Not only will he be a wall of fire to protect it but he'll be the Glory in their midst.
Zechariah 2:6-13
The third vision is followed by these oracles that speak to the themes of the first visions. This begins as a call the people of Zechariah's time who were in exile. It was time for them to come home before the Lord brought judgment to those nations. God had spread them abroad, it was now time for them to flee their captive nations and return.
Many may found new homes, become comfortable in these other nations. After all, it had been 70 years. Life in these other places is all they knew; life in Jerusalem was found only in stories and writings; folklore and memories of the old men. To remain would expose them to the judgment of the naitons. This had to be difficult for them; to pull up stakes and return to Judah didn't look like a wise decision.
The text returns to the thought, 'For every horn, there is a carpenter.' The Messiah will come to procure the Glory for God by putting down the nations that plunder Israel. After all, Israel is the apple of God's eye. The term 'apple' is babah; related to an ancient word 'babu' meaning 'gate'. This is the only use of this term in the bible. We see a similar word translated to the same phrase in Deuteronomy 32:10 –
10 "He found him in a desert land
And in the wasteland, a howling wilderness;
He encircled him, He instructed him,
He kept him as the apple of His eye.[3]
Israel is the apple of God's eye, the pupil, the most sensitive part. To touch, or bring harm to God's people is to provoke God; like poking Him in the eye! Because these nations that plundered Israel had brought Israel to slavery, the Lord would bring the nations to judgment and the slaves would plunder them.
The promise is that the Messiah will dwell in their midst of Isreal in that day. The gentile nations will join themselves to the Lord through the Messiah becoming His people. They will be His people and He will be their Lord. This is the covenant offer now extended to the gentiles. This was always God's plan; all the nations would be blessed by the offspring of Abraham.
God's Holy Habitation is heaven; when God is aroused from there, things will happen (Rev 5 – Beware the lamb). The Lord will take possession of Judah as His inheritance. The term 'holy land' in verse 12 is the only place in the bible where this term appears.
Zechariah 3:1-5
Vision #4:
The vision is of the high priest Joshua ministering before the Lord and at his right hand is the Satan, the adversary. The Angel of the Lord rebukes Satan for his presence and opposition to the priest. He was no doubt making accusations, no doubt seeking to steal, kill and destroy. The Angel of the Lord identifies Joshua as a brand plucked from the fire. Think of a stick used to stoke the fire, as the fire burns on, the stick gets shorter. Unless it is removed from the fire, it will be burned up, for that's all it was good for.
"So it is with the child of God. What is he at the best? Till he is taken up to heaven, he is nothing but a brand plucked out of the fire. It is his daily moan that he is a sinner; but Christ accepts him as he is: and he shuts the devil's mouth by telling him, 'Thou sayest this man is black – of course he is: what did I think he was but that? He is a brand plucked out of the fire. I plucked him out of it. He was burning when he was in it: he is black now he is out of it. He was what I knew he would be; he is not what I mean to make him, but he is what I knew he would be. I have chosen him as a brand plucked out of the fire. What hast thou to say to that?' Do observe that this plea did not require a single word to be added to it from Joshua." (Spurgeon)
Joshua is clothed in filthy garments. The word used for 'filthy' means this garment appeared as if it were smeared with excrement. Joshua was smelly, dirty, offensive and discustingly impure, making him unfit for service. This is how God sees our sin. This is what Satan was making accusation about. We can imagine him pointing his accusing finger at Joshua pointing out his impurity, his sin and how he was unfit to be in the presence of the Lord. He was right.
The Lord gave the command that the filthy garments be taken away. The Lord points out that these filthy garments are representative of his iniquity. The Lord has taken it away and clothed him in rich robes. This is a robe of exceptional quaility. The old garment couldn't be covered, it had to come off. Then it could be replaced with something new. The clean turban is then placed on his head to complete his clothing as a priest.
(See Matthew 22:11-14 for the man who doesn't have a new garment at the wedding feast.)
Zechariah 3:6-10
Joshua, the high priest stands representative of the one perfect High Priest, Jesus Christ, that would one day come. He stands as a sign. Joshua is reinstated and admonished to walk in God's ways, keeping His commands. He was to take his place in the calling upon his life; judging, ministering and following the leading of the Lord.
Joshua was an imperfect sign. He needed the Lord's forgiveness, His cleansing and his love and direction. Yet, one day another servant would come; The Branch, the servant of the Lord who would fulfill, cleanse, cloth and restore God's people.
In those days a cornerstone was often inscribed with a message of purpose and dedicaiton. This stone is depicted as having seven eyes; this is God's ability to see and know all things. In omnicience the Lord inscribes the corner stone with the promise of a coming day, a day when the iniquity of the land is removed. In that day of peace and safety, everyone will be inclined to invite his neighbor 'under his vine and under his fig tree'. This is a picture of life under the reign of messiah.
We can't ignore that Jesus is referred to as a stone in several places in the bible.
Chuck Misler suggest the engraving are the marks or scars marking Jesus from the day he paid for our sin. He was engraved on his head by a crown of thorns, on his back from the scourging, and on his hands and feet from being nailed to a cross for my sin.
What do your garments look like? How do you look to God? Are you listening to Satan's accusations? Building the temple was important because it laid the foundation for the coming the messiah. It's presence, structure and function pointed toward a day that couldn't be seen by those folks at that time. The vision was an invitation of faith, to believe the Branch would come.
Zechariah 4: 1-14
Vision #5
Zechariah is woozy, foggy as he is roused from sleep. The vision may have been a dream and some in-between state. As he looked, he saw a lampstand; at the top was a bowl. There were seven lamps with a pipe to each lamp. On either side of the bowl was an olive tree. Caring for the lampstand in the temple was a continuous and tediou job. It had to be kept full of oil, the wickes trimmed and the soot cleaned away. What Zechariah is seeing is a lamp with continuous feed of oil. At far as the supply was concerned, it was maintenance free.
The 7 branch lamp stand was standard implement of the temple. The Menorah is a symbol of Israel and menorah means "light". The bowl was emblematic of abundant supply. The two olive trees supplied oil directly to the bowl which supplied the lamps and makes it a limitless supply.
Zechariah didn't understand the meaning and the angel confirmed this, knowing he was ready to hear and learn. The meaning was a message to Zerubbabel.
Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,'
This 'great mountain' was the difficult task that would be overcome by the Spirit of the Lord. Zerubbabel would complete the temple. All the difficult tasks, fears and threats would be overcome before him. Zerubbabel would bring forth the capstone as the symbol of its completion; at the same time acknowledging God's grace and power as he did so. This completion would be a sign pointing to the Lord. Verse nine seems to convey that the Spirit was with Zerubabbel that proved Yahweh sent Jesus. The 'Me' is verse nine is the messiah, the capstone. The work of Zerubabbel will point to the messiah.
The small begininings; the humble foundations and the all that worked against them must have made this seem like a impossible task. At times, it may well have seemed to small to be meaningful. Was it really worth it? The seven eyes of the Lord rejoice at the sight of Zerubbabel at work on the temple. The plumb line was a tool to check the straightness and the level of a wall. We can be engaged in no greater work than one that makes the Lord rejoice.
It's almost as if Zechariah said, 'Okay, but what are the two olive trees?' He saw the trees and the oil dripping from the branches that was collected by the pipes and funneled to the lamp. The angel confirms these two are the annointed ones. The meaning of the phrase is 'sons of fresh oil'. There were only two folks that were annointed in the old testament, kings and priests. This is likely Joshau and Zerubabbel, the king and priest who stand in renewal in the place of David and Aaron. They also stand symbolically in the place of Jesus, our King and High Priest, who was yet to come.
See also Revelation 11:4, the two witnesses of Revelation are the two olive branches. The humble beginnings and difficult tasks tend to discourage us in our work. It isn't by our power & might that it happens, it's by His Spirit. If God is in it from the beginning, He'll see it to the end. All glory then goes to Him.
Zechariah 5:1-4
Vision 6
The next vision seems to come quickly on the heels of the previous. He once again describes what he sees though he struggles to make sense of it. He sees a scroll flying through the air. This scroll is immense, measuring 30 foot long and 15 foot wide. A two sided scroll shows that it was special, not all scrolls were written on both sides. This is can only speak to the weight and significance of the document as it seeming comes down from heaven. It's no conincidence that this is the same size as the Holy Place in the tabernacle.
The angel calls this scroll the curse that goes over the entire earth. The thief is condemned on one side and the blasphemer on the other side. The Ten commandments have two parts; the first half are the laws governing our relationship with God and the next five govern our relationship with others. The 'perjurer' is the one misusing the name of the Lord; this probably stands representative of the first commandments. The 'thief' represents the second part of the commands.
Though shalt have no other God before me
Thought shall not make thyself a graven image
Though shall not take the name of the Lord in vain
Though shall keep the Sabbath
Though shall honor your father and mother
Though shall not kill
Though shall not commit adultery
Though shall not steal
Though shall not bear false witness
Though shall not covet
The curses are punishments for breaking the covenant laws. These curses don't just fall on Israel, but on the entire earth. It is at the temple, where the priests minister before the Lord where remedy for the curse may be found. It is Chrsit, who, as King and Priest and perfect sacrifice, provides the 'one time' remedy for all from the curse of the law.
God said he will make his word go forth and in Isaiah 55:11 he says it will not return void. There is no escaping God's judgment (1 Peter 4:17). The law convicts us and shows us our need for salvation. He will purge the land of sin. There is no escaping God's law; His word goes forth across the earth. The law convicts and justice is demanded. One can suffer the curses of the law and serve justice; or, one can fall on the mercy of Christ who suffered the payment of our sin to serve justice. Either way, the God is glorified.
Zechariah 5:5-11
Vision #7
Once again, the angel came out (we still don't know from where he came) telling Zechariah to lift his eyes and what was going forth. A basket goes forth; the basket is an ephah in measure but the word seems to interchange with a basket. This would be about the size of a small bucket holding around a cubic foot of volume. The 'going forth' is to separate, send away or set something apart.
The basket contains 'their resemblance'; some translations say 'their iniquity'. The hebrew words for these are nearly the same. The earliest texts seem to say 'their iniquity' which makes sense in the context. There is a lead disc for a lid to this basket and in it sits a woman. This woman is the personification of evil and is consistent with the great prostitute of Revelation 17 and the forbidden woman of Proverbs 7:5-27. Her name is Wickedness; the word is a general term applied as a name. Wickedness is thrust into the basket and the leaden lid is slammed down to become her prison.
Two women come forth; they appear to be angelic beings as they come forth with 'wind in their wings'. Zechariah sees these wings as that of the storks, making them large and strong enough to carry wickedness away, between heaven and earth, to Babylon. There, in Babylon, a house would be built for Wickedness. Then Wickedness would be set on the base there, where it would be worshiped as an idol.
The use of Shinar points toward a remembrance of Babel (Genesis 11:2). See Revelation 17 & 18 for the final Babylon. See 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 for more on the mystery of lawlessness.
The sins of the individual are dealt with, but so are the sins of the nation. Wickedness will have a place in the world for now, but its our role to say, "not this place!" As wickedness is set apart, holiness is established..
Zechariah 6:1-8
Vision #8
In this eighth vision, Zechariah lifts his eyes and sees four chariots. The chariots seem to be arriving at the abode of God seen as a valley with mountainous pillars of bronze on either side. These bronze mountains look similar to the pillars of the temple on either side as one approached the Holy of Holies. We can imagine the brightness of this setting. Bronze was a metal used for strenght and to fortify the gate against enemies. The bronze mountains become the site of the mighty fortress of God.
The chariots are God's agents of judgment throughout the entire earth. The colors must be significant, although debatable in meaning. The common thoughts are:
- red denote war and bloodshed,
- black, sorrow and death,
- white, victory.
- Dappled indicating famine and pestilence,
The 'station' of these agents is before the council of God. They go out, throughout the earth, at God's bidding. The black and white horses go north while the dappled go south. The enemies of Israel were seen as coming from the north; it is from the north trouble came and from the noth it would come again. The sourth county may be a reference to Egypt. Major invasions of Israel came either from the north or the south. Misler and McArthur both agree there is no real east or west. West gets you wet; east puts you in the desert.
To those who felt the oppression and terror put on them to halt the work of the temple, this message spoke of an all powerful God who was still on the throne. They may not know when, or how, or even why at times, God's plan was sure.
Judgment will come to the enemies of God. We may not see and understand how or when, but we can rest assured that Almighty God will have His way.
Zechariah 6:9-15
The visions of Zechariah were given to encourage Zerubbabel, Joshua and the people to get back to work on the temple. In order for this to happen their fears and concerns had to be dealt with. Their crisis of faith had to end. Their disobedience had to be seen for what it was.
To cap off the visions, Zechariah is told to receive a gift from some of the leaders who had come from Babylon. He was to take this silver and gold and make an elaborate crown and put it on the head of Joshua. This crown was the crown of a king, a ruler of his people. Yet, Joshua was a priest; as a priest, the crown would have been placed over his turban. This foreshadows the time when the messiah will be both priest and king. This was unhead of in that day, the two roles were always kept separate.
Zechariah then presents Joshua as the Branch. He stands as a type and shadow of Jesus; showing the importance of the temple and the priesthood at that time. Jesus would build the temple of the Lord; the final temple from which He will rule. He shall bear the glory; this glory and splendor is divine but displayed in the world.
Then in the clearest way possible, we see the combining of the priesthood with royalty of the throne. It will be normal and right in those days. The elaborate crown was to serve as a memorial to remember the One to come. "Those afar" might be those still coming from Babylon to build the temple that day; but they might also be those 'afar' across time that will become the temple of the Lord. Whether then, or now, it is all to point to Jesus; so then all would know 'The Lord of hosts has sent Me to you'.
This will happen by your obedience; this was the summary of all the visions, the final message to these folks. It was saying, 'get back to work.'
Like the folks of that day, we face obstacles in our life. The message to us is very much the same.
God doesn't provide a way that is wide, free from worry and care. He doesn't open up before us a path where it's down hill, with the wind at our back munching Doritos and humming your favorite song. We rise every morning, shake away the fears and worries of the day. We declare we are a child of God, we are in His care.
That care may look a lot different that we might want it to. The relief might not come as early as we wold like to see it. The victory might come in the strangest of ways at the last second. But we can always know, He won't leave us or forsake us.
Every day, we face the terrors of the world, the fears the enemy throws our way. The people who stopped building the temple thought:
- "Why try, it's a lost cause."
- "It's not worth it, the price is to high."
- "Why? Where's the benefit?"
- "Let someone else take the risk."
- "How can such a small thing, in a small place, make any difference?"
God's people will always be a contrast to the world – that's holiness. God didn't bring us to a place to abandon us. He will never leave or forsake us; He has an answer for every opposition. We are called to obedience and faith, period! By our work we ought to look like Jesus, and thereby testify of His goodness. Don't try to evaluate the worth of the calling; just answer it, being faithful in the seemingly small things. He will see the work through to the end. Don't become complacent regarding the curse you were once under because the day is coming when the cursed will be set apart. All debts will come due. Our king will come and sit on His throne and rule us in righteousness.
©2017 Doug Ford
[1] The New King James Version. (1982). (Ezr 5:1–2). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[2] The New King James Version. (1982). (Ezr 6:14). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[3] The New King James Version. (1982). (Dt 32:10). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
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