29 September

Bible In 365 Days

Zechariah 1-7

 

Zechariah 1

About a month after Haggai's second message, in which he had encouraged the people who were in danger of being disheartened by the memory of the past, Zechariah uttered his first prophetic word. He gave them another view of the past, intended to warn them. He reminded them that Jehovah was sore displeased with their fathers, and warned them not to walk in the same sins. Thus Haggai encouraged them by looking on to the new spiritual glory, while Zechariah exhorted them by looking back to the past of disobedience.

Two months after Haggai had delivered his last message, Zechariah delivered his great message consisting of eight symbolic visions.

Under the figure of the myrtle trees Israel is described as "in the bottom," or, far better, as the margin reads, "in the shady place." It is the day of her overshadowing, but she is still watched. The whole earth is sitting still and at rest. The angel watcher appeals to Jehovah on behalf of Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, and is answered with "comfortable words."

These words declare Jehovah's determination to deliver and re-establish His people. This vision, therefore, is a picture of Israel as she long has been, and still is, outcast from privilege and position, yet never forgotten by Jehovah, who declares His determination ultimately to return to her with mercies, and to restore her to favor.

The second vision of horns and smiths, while indefinite as to detail, yet carries its own explanation. The horn is a symbol of power, and the four stand for the powers which have scattered the chosen people. The smiths are the symbol of that which destroys power, and stand for those who are to break the power of the horns.

The vision thus foretells the ultimate overthrow of the enemies of the purpose of God, and therefore stands in immediate and striking contrast to the one preceding it. As we have seen, there the chosen people are in the shady place, cast out, without influence or power among the nations. The second, while not entering into any detailed account of the instrument to be used, does, nevertheless, symbolize that ultimately those who have oppressed the people of God will be broken in power, and thus the oppressed people be delivered.

 

Zechariah 2

The vision of the measuring line reveals the condition of Jerusalem which will result from the overthrow of her enemies. The young man with a measuring line goes forth to measure the restored city, and is prevented from doing so by an angel messenger, who, in figurative language, tells him that Jerusalem will be such that it will be impossible to measure.

The nature of that prosperity is indicated in the statement that Jehovah's presence will make walls unnecessary, and its extent be so vast as to make walls impossible. In view of this remarkable vision of ultimate prosperity, the prophet calls the scattered people to return, and tells them to rejoice that Jehovah will dwell in their midst.

 

Zechariah 3

As the first three visions dealt principally with the material side of Israel's tribulation and restoration, the remaining five dealt pre-eminently with her moral and spiritual influence.

In vision the prophet saw Joshua, who was then the actual high priest, standing before the angel of the Lord, but clothed in filthy garments, while at his right hand Satan stood at his adversary, that is, as one pleading against the cause which Joshua represented. The filthy garments were removed, and in their place a fair miter was set on his head, and he was clothed with rich apparel.

While this vision applied to one who in priestly function would wear the garments of the nation's pollution, and change them for the miter and the garments of access, it preeminently set forth that the nation which had failed through sin would be restored by moral cleansing to the priestly position and function of access to God and mediation. The accomplishment of this glorious restoration is associated with the bringing forth of the Branch, and the removal of iniquity.

 

Zechariah 4

The vision of the candlestick immediately following sets forth Israel as fulfilling the divine intention. In the divinely appointed ritual of Israel's worship the candlestick stood in the holy place, creating the only symbol of Israel's true position as light-bearer amid the darkness.

The two olive trees, as Zechariah described them, referred immediately and locally to Zerubbabel and Joshua, the governor and the priest under whom the Temple had been rebuilt and its worship restored, but ultimately to the offices of king and priest as they would be realized and fulfilled in the person of the Messiah. Here, as always in Scripture, the golden oil symbolized the Spirit of God by whom anointing is possessed for cooperation with God in service, the teaching being that the Spirit would be communicated to Israel through the King and Priest, and thus her light would shine in the darkness.

 

Zechariah 5

The vision of the flying roll represents the principle of law as it will be administered by Israel when she fulfils the true ideal. It must be considered as a sequence following the realization of those preceding. Israel, cleansed and anointed by the Spirit, becomes again a moral standard and influence among the peoples. The law is a curse on evil in action and in speech, not merely pronounced, but active. Thus while Israel in realization is to stand as priest, mediating, and as light-bearer, illuminating, she is also to affirm and apply the principle of law in the world.

The vision of the application of law is immediately followed by one showing the result. The ephah is the symbol of commerce, and, according to the distinct prophecy, the woman sitting in the midst of the ephah is the personification of wickedness. Thus the principle of wickedness is to find its last vantage ground in commerce. This ephah dominated by wickedness is borne into the land of Shinar, where the tower of Babel was erected and the city of Babylon was built.

The teaching of the vision, therefore, is that even in the administration of the ultimate, the spirit of lawlessness will exist, finding its vantage ground, as we have seen, in commerce, but that it will be restricted in its operations, being compelled to occupy its own house in its own land on its own basis.

 

Zechariah 6

In the last vision the prophet observed four chariots, coming out from between two mountains of brass, one drawn by red horses, one by black horses, one by white horses, and one by grizzled horses.

Inquiring of the angel the meaning of the vision, the prophet was instructed that the chariots symbolized the four spirits of heaven going forth from the presence of the Lord to walk to and fro in the earth. It is the final revelation of the method of the restored order. In the day of restoration the administrative forces of righteousness will be spiritual.

After the delivery of this second message of visions the prophet was distinctly charged to observe a great symbolic ceremony. Skilled workmen prepared crowns of silver and of gold. These were set on the head of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. To him thus crowned the prophet repeated his prediction of the coming Man whose name is the Branch, through whom the predictions made in the message of the visions would be fulfilled. Ultimately He would build the Temple of the Lord. His office would be dual: He would be both Priest and King; and it was promised that the "counsel of peace shall be between them both," that is to say, the resulting peace would accrue from the union of the kingly and priestly functions in the one Person.

This ceremony was intended to inspire the men of Joshua's own age with hope and confidence in the ultimate victory of Jehovah. Therefore the crowns which Joshua wore during the ceremony were retained for a memorial in the Temple of the Lord.

The final words of Zechariah in this connection reveal the purpose in all that he had said. It was that the work of Temple building should be continued.

 

Zechariah 7

The third message of Zechariah was uttered nearly two years later. It was a fourfold answer to an inquiry made by the people concerning the necessity for observing certain fasts.

The history of these fasts is contained in 2 Kings 25:1-30. One was established in the tenth month, in connection with the siege of the city. The next, which occurred in the fourth month, commemorated the taking of the city. The third, held in the fifth month, was in memory of the burning of the city, and the last was in the seventh month, the month in which Gedaliah was murdered.

The inquiry was confined to the fast of the fifth month, whether it was necessary to continue its observance. The answer of the prophet was delivered in four statements of what Jehovah had said to him. The first of these answers declared that the fasts had been instituted, not by divine command, but entirely on the initiative of the people themselves. It declared also that they should consider the messages which had been delivered to them before the occasion which gave rise to the fasts of which they now complained.

The second answer reminded them that God sought justice and mercy rather than the observance of self-appointed fasts. It also reminded them that they had refused to hear the call of justice, and therefore all the evil things which had befallen the city had resulted. The inference was that had they been obedient, the occasions for these fasts would never have arisen.