Zechariah 9-14

 Zechariah 9:1-4 Lands to the north of Israel will be judged. Damascus continues to exist to this day, and figured significantly in the New Testament in the process of evangelizing the gentiles. Tyre, on the other hand, once was significant in Israel’s history as Hiram had provided resources for Solomon to build the temple. But in Ezekiel 26 we read of Tyre’s complete destruction, which Alexander the Great carried out in 332 BC. 

Zechariah 9:5-8 The land of the Philistines, modern-day Palestine, will also be judged, but not totally destroyed. Mongrel people is speaking an insult, in that day, half breeds who were the result of being overrun. In our day, people of mixed race are seen as just other people, we have websites to help people figure out the geographic origin of their ancestors based on DNA. In this context, the reference to the Jebusites speaks of Israel’s conquest of Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 11:4-5) but failure to eradicate them as God had originally commanded Joshua. The modern day inhabitants of Palestine continue to share in that curse, living in poverty, constant warfare, ruthless and evil leaders who pretend to care for them for the sake of power and prestige. God promises peace and prosperity to Israel, but not in the way they expect….

Zechariah 9:9-11 The One who will rule from sea to sea and proclaim peace to the nations will enter Jerusalem meekly, riding on the colt of a donkey. This passage is quoted in the New Testament in describing Jesus’ triumphal entry on Palm Sunday. (Matthew 21:5, John 12:25) Jesus’ way of bringing peace is not an overpowering army of soldiers, but the power of His blood to overcome sin. He will release prisoners from the pit of hades through His blood, preaching the good news to them. (1 Peter 4:6)

Zechariah 9:11-13 Jesus will enable prisoners of sin who hope in Him to return to life with Him. The warriors of His kingdom will defeat Greek philosophy and religious worship of false gods  with the Sword of the Spirit, the rhema of God. (Ephesians 6:17)

Zechariah 9:14-17 When the day of reckoning arrives, the Lord will appear in the sky. The angel of the Lord will give a trumpet blast. (Matthew 24:30-31, 1 Thessalonians 4:16) The Lord will shield His servants from the flaming darts of the evil one when they put their faith in Him. (Ephesians 6:16) The glory of the crown will be the people He has saved and transformed. (1 Thessalonians 2:19)

Zechariah 10

Zechariah 10:1 The Lord gives generously - rain and crops - to everyone.

Zechariah 10:2-3 Idols and diviners speak lies and deceive people with comfort in vain. The Lord’s anger burns against the supposed shepherds who lead people astray. This is expressed elsewhere. (Jeremiah 23:1; Ezekiel 34:2) The truth that is in the law of Moses provides enough insight into life that people can live good, healthy, and productive lives. The lies that bad shepherds tell result in people having distorted understanding of what God and eternity look like and are like, to dream about things that don’t exist or are impossible, and to be comfortable in their sins. These things ruin their lives, in fact, ruin society as a whole. (Look at the world we live in now!) The Lord Himself will shepherd His flock. (John 10:11-14) Whether the ruin that  accepted sin causes flows from cause and effect or from God’s rejection of the actions, the end result is the same.

Zechariah 10:4-5 The cornerstone of a society built on a firm foundation is coming. (Psalm 118:22-23; Isaiah 28:16; Matthew 21:42) Those He shepherds, who build their lives on this cornerstone, will be mighty warriors in the spiritual war against evil, and they and He will prevail. (Ephesians 6:10-17)

Zechariah 10:6-12 A further elaboration on how the children of God will be restored, both geographically and spiritually. The Lord scattered them to teach them a lesson. (Lamentations 5:16-21) Zechariah speaks the Lord’s words that He will indeed restore them and deal with those nations that mistreat them. This message is timeless. Even today, the nations that respect and honor Jews (who, even though they have not accepted Jesus are still God’s chosen people)  are blessed, and those who don’t are cursed. And this goes beyond Jews to Christians as well. Nations where Christians are persecuted are cursed  - economically, politically, socially. It is the choice that Satan made, better to reign in hell than serve in heaven. (John Milton, Paradise Lost) 

It is both a principle of life and eternity and a maxim that can be verified by life and history, that lives that are built on overcoming and persevering through incredible trials are those which matter most in the long run, that accomplish sustained values that outlive them. Those whose lives are easy, for whom everything goes smoothly, end up living comfortably, however long they live, but leave no enduring works of value.

Zechariah 11

Zechariah 11:1-3 A warning to the nations immediately north and east of Israel. The shepherds will mourn because their trees, pastures, and thickets are ruined.

Zechariah 11:4-6 Shepherds who sell all their sheep will seem temporarily rich, but they have no long-term flock. No one will rescue them in the day of trouble. They have no allies and nothing of value to offer. This is the outcome of the worldly mindset that focuses only on short-term riches.

Zechariah 11:7-9 It is not clear whether Zechariah is speaking on his own or is speaking for the Lord, in taking over as the head shepherd. The two staffs for shepherding are intriguing:

• Favor, Strong’s H5276, can mean agreeable, beauty, delight, pleasantness. It suggests shepherding sheep by offering them easy and pleasant life circumstances. The rewards of obeying God are blessings.
• Union, Strong’s H2256, refers to a cord, rope or union or company. However, it can also mean pain, sorrow, or destruction. Later context favors the former interpretation. He shepherds by forming cords of unity so that the flock stays and moves together.

However, he fired three under-shepherds in a month. It seems that then the chief shepherd tired of shepherding the sheep (rebellious? unwilling to be led?), so he (or He) said to let them fend for themselves and face the consequences.

Zechariah 11:10-13 Zechariah broke the staff called Favor, signifying the revoking of God’s covenant with the nations. He resigned and said to pay him or not for his month’s labor, as seemed best to them. (Presumably said to the owners of the sheep.) So he received thirty pieces of silver which he threw into the potter at the Lord’s house. Saying that this was the price at which they valued him foreshadows the price that Judas was paid for betraying Jesus. (Matthew 26:16, 27:3&9) In that case, the blood money was used to buy a field for burying the poor.

Zechariah 11:14-17 Zechariah then broke the staff called union signifying the breakage of the family bond between Israel and Judah. Back in Genesis they were father and son, but in Zechariah’s day they were two nations, Judah consisting of two tribes and Israel the other ten. The significance of this was that God would raise up a foolish shepherd who would not bother caring for the sheep, but would simply eat them. But then a woe is pronounced on this worthless shepherd, His arm and his right eye would be struck with a sword. (see also  Jeremiah 23:1) In the time of the end, there will be a head of a world nation represented by a beast who will suffer similar judgment. (Revelation 13:3 & 12) Some see this passage in Zechariah as a foreshadowing of certain aspects of the antichrist in the end times.

Zechariah 12

Zechariah 12:1-5 Invoking the very creation of the heavens and the earth, and of humankind, Zechariah declares that this creator-God will defeat Jerusalem’s enemies. When He does this, all Jews will recognize Him as the one who makes those dwelling in Jerusalem strong. The gathering of all nations against Jerusalem speaks of the end times, as later described by both Jesus and John. (Luke 21:20 & 24; Revelation 20:8)

Zechariah 12:5-9 A further description of the role of the clans of Judah in this conflict. They will join in with the residents of Jerusalem in this war. As the Lord protects Jerusalem, their homes and villages will also be protected, and they will destroy by fire those who surround them. Thus the Lord will destroy all who attack Jerusalem. (As also in 14:12) In our day, we see most recently the attack by Hamas on Israel October 7, 2023, which led to a war which essentially destroyed the entire Gaza Strip. This is perhaps only a foretaste of what will happen at the end times, when all of the nations that oppose Israel will suffer a similar fate. They will start the war, but the Lord God will finish it, using Judah (modern Israel) as His tool.

Zechariah 12:10-13 That particular day, when the Lord empowers Judah to utterly destroy their enemies, will be accompanied by the visible return of Jesus, the one that the Jews had crucified thousands of years earlier. They will see Him and mourn that they did not recognize Him and hence mistreated Him. He is the uniquely-begotten Son of God and they will mourn over how they treated Him, His death. (Isaiah 53:5; Revelation 1:7) 

Four specific family clans are identified, tracing back to various origins, most likely to give a picture of the breadth of the family clans of the Jews that will join in this mourning, to include their wives: the house of David, the kingly line; the house of Nathan, the prophetic line;  the house of Levi, the priestly line; and the house of Shimei. 

Shimei seems an odd family patriarch to be mentioned, as his appearance in history was first when he threw stones and dirt on David to mock David’s apparent downfall caused by Absalom. (2 Samuel 16:5-14) Later he repented and was granted legal protection while David was alive (2 Samuel 19:16-23); but later, on his deathbed, David charged Solomon to get revenge, which he ultimately did. (1 Kings 2:8-9, 36-46) Who do Shimei and his clan represent? Possibly it is those people who have up-and-down faith. Sometimes they are scornful of God’s chosen people, sometimes they recognize His hand on them, and sometimes they are just careless about following up on promises. In the end times, they too will see Jesus and mourn over their treatment of Him.

Zechariah 13

Zechariah 13:1 Jesus promised rivers of living water that would bubble up from inside the innermost being of believers. (John 7:37-38) In John’s later revelation, one of the elders tells him that the Lamb will lead those who come out of the tribulation to springs of living water. (Revelation 7:17)

Zechariah 13:2-6 There seem to be more than one possible interpretation of the prophets described here. Most common interpretation is that it refers to the false prophets of Israel, who lied and claimed to speak for the Lord, but were really inspired by Satan. They will recognize when they are fingered by their parents that they must deny any claim to prophetic utterance lest they be put to death. This would be the case if they prophesied lies, things inconsistent with God’s word, His nature, and his character. 

An alternative interpretation might be that Jesus came to banish idolatry. But His followers would not be accepted so this passage is paraphrasing the accusations made against His people, who will humbly deny any prophetic ministry, claiming only to be tilling spiritual soil, perhaps with the words of Jesus Himself. Every believer in Christ has direct access to God through the Holy Spirit and therefore the church would not have need of prophetic gifts  given to only a few. But then the reference to the wounds given in a friends’ house would seem to refer to Jesus. (John 20:20-27)

Zechariah 13:7-9 Reference to striking the shepherd is clearly messianic as Jesus quoted this verse at the Last Supper just before He was arrested. (Matthew 26:31; Mark 14:27)  It is unclear what the perishing of two-thirds means, whether it is that the majority of those who believe in Jesus will die a martyr’s death (Revelation 7:9-17), or that a majority of those who are presented the gospel will reject it, as perhaps was the case of the Jews in the first century. Refining of believers like silver and gold is a frequent theme in Scripture. (Psalm 66:10; Malachi 3:3; Revelation 3:18) 

 There seem to be four different ways to view bad things happening. 

1. The result of cause and effect. Sinful acts carry within them the basic consequences. Sexual immorality leads to unwanted pregnancy and venereal diseases. Lying and stealing lead to social ostracism and rejection since no one will trust them. Murder leads to being punished by the government, or else revenge being sought by the victim’s relatives. At its worst, widespread immorality leads to social collapse and anarchy. One does not need to believe in God to see this relationship.
2. The judgment of God. In the case of Israel, after they repeatedly flouted Him and His commands, He let them be carried into exile to learn their lesson.  He sent prophets to speak to them, warn them, and call them to repent. This theme is repeatedly repeated in both the books of history, the books of the prophets, and the writings of Psalms and Proverbs, probably the majority of the Old Testament. The Jews of Jesus’ day believed this, for example in the question the disciples asked about the man born blind. (John 9:1-2) Job’s “comforters” took it for granted. (Job 4:7-8)
3. Refining fire, the formation of spiritual character in a person. As in the passages above in Zechariah, the Lord is making us into the person He has planned for us, which may involve troubles that are not based on any of our own actions. He wants us to exhibit love and forgiveness and joy in the presence of others who do wrong. This is a hard road, but saints through the ages testify to this. God is not just disciplining us for our faults, He is building virtues into us. 
4. The transcendent glory of God. In the story of the man born blind, Jesus response is that this happened so that God’s glory could be revealed. (John 9:3-4ff). The Incarnation, what God’s inscrutable nature and character, His power and glory, look like in human form, was revealed for all to see.  As Paul quoted Isaiah, eye has not seen and ear has not heard, nor has it entered the human heart, all that God has prepared for those who love Him. (Isaiah 64:4, 1 Corinthians 2:9) When Job finally saw God, he had the same reaction. (Job 42:2-3)

When bad things happen, especially when there are unanswered prayers, it is a test of our faith, our trust in God, which of these viewpoints we take. 

Zechariah 14

Zechariah 14:1 The day of the Lord is coming for Jerusalem. At first this    seems odd because this book is believed to have been written circa 520-470 BC, while Jerusalem was destroyed in 586 BC. Of course, Jerusalem was also destroyed in 70 AD. However, the context of the rest of this chapter point to an end-times event. In reading this description, we should be motivated to live every day as though this might happen today.

Zechariah 14:2-5 The terrors inflicted on Jerusalem by invaders is countered by the arrival of the Lord, who will create a new valley for them to flee through when He arrives with His holy ones. This event is referred to elsewhere by Zechariah (12:3, 14:14-16) and also in the New Testament. (Luke 21:24, Revelation 14:20, 20:7-9) Before this event the gospel will be preached to all nations, so the nations that gather against Jerusalem will have heard the gospel, and rejected it. (Matthew 24:14)

Zechariah 14:6-7 The arrival of the Lord will fundamentally change the structure of day and night. There will be light from the Lord and hence no night. (Revelation 21:23, 22:5)

Zechariah 14:8 Living water will flow both east and west, and bring life to the Dead Sea. (Revelation 7:17, 22:1)

Zechariah 14:9 Jesus will rule the whole earth.  (Revelation 12:5)

Zechariah 14:10-11 Jerusalem will be secure.

Zechariah 14:12-15 The plague inflicted on the nations gathered who attack Jerusalem sounds very much like the effects of a nuclear weapon. (Revelation 20:10) Invading armies attacking one another has precedent, notably during the reign of Jehoshaphat. (2 Chronicles 20:22-23) 

Zechariah 14:16-19 The surviving nations will come to Jerusalem every year to celebrate Succoth, the festival of tabernacles. This is the last of the annual feasts prescribed in the Mosaic law. (Leviticus 23:33-43) Just as Passover foreshadowed Calvary, and the feast of weeks foreshadowed the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the feast of booths foreshadows the ultimate privilege of the nations coming before Jesus every year to worship in His presence.

Zechariah 14:20-21 Almost as an afterthought, the details of holiness will reach to every pot in Jerusalem, and no unclean or rebellious person will enter the house of the Lord. 

Zechariah 7-8

Zechariah 7

Zechariah 7:1-3 The people of Bethel (the house of God) send messengers to ask the priests of the house of the Lord (Beth YHWH) if they should fast the fifth month. 

Zechariah 7:4-7 The word of the Lord was a reproach phrased as a rhetorical question. When they fasted and when they feasted, was it for the Lord or for themselves? Jesus reproached those who fasted to be seen by others in the Sermon on the Mount. (Matthew 6:16-18) They have their reward in full. It must be done before God, in secret, for God to see it in secret. The point of fasting is to turn our hearts to God, which can also happen through feasting (as at the Lord’s supper). We don’t hear His voice when we disobey Him (other than the conviction of the Holy Spirit). There is also a distinction between a heartfelt seeking of God, and Pharisaical legalism.

Zechariah 7:8-14 The Lord spoke through Zechariah the commands they already had regarding judgmentalism and treatment of society’s disadvantaged. They knew these commands, but ignored them. Comparing their hearts to flint indicates no hope of repentance (flint being one of the hardest naturally occurring materials), and the Lord Almighty was very angry. He called out to them, but they ignored Him and His prophets. Hence, the judgment resulted in the diaspora and the desolation of the land of Israel. Asking if they should fast ignored the fact that they had ignored His commands and His pleading through the prophets. It wouldn’t do any good to fast unless they were ready to obey Him. They can’t buy God’s indulgence through fasting. And so with us … going to church and tithing and singing in the choir won’t help our position with Jesus unless we turn our hearts to Him in obedience.

Zechariah 8

Zechariah 8:1 There are ten separate statements of what the Lord Almighty says through Zechariah.

• Zechariah 8:2 The Lord burns with jealousy for Zion.
• Zechariah 8:3 The Lord will dwell in Jerusalem. It will be so blessed that others will call it the faithful city and the mountain of the Lord will be called the holy mountain.
• Zechariah 8:4-5 Jerusalem will be so blessed that old people will sit along the streets and watch boys and girls playing in the street. Pretty remarkable when we think of most major cities today being so dangerous that neither of these things would happen. Not to mention that automobiles driven by angry drivers could injure or kill them. But God burns with jealousy for Zion.
• Zechariah 8:6 Will it seem marvelous to the remnant who return to be blessed because they don’t deserve it (God’s love and blessing), or will it seem marvelous to them just because of how wonderful it is. Rhetorically, God asks if it will be marvelous to Him. 
• Zechariah 8:7-8 He knows the depths of His forgiveness, and He knows His power to redeem the lost, and to bless.
• Zechariah 8:9-13 The Lord elaborates - the remnant should be strong in the confidence that the Lord will not deal with them as He did with their predecessors. They suffered because they rejected Him and His ways, they were poor and in danger and in conflict with each other. But He will bless the remnant who return and build the temple. He will bless their crops and provide abundant moisture. Going further, as He blesses them, He expects them to be a blessing to others. Although they had been viewed as a remnant cursed by God during the diaspora, when they are strong for Him, this will bless others.
• Zechariah 8:14-17 The Lord has made up His mind to do good for Jerusalem and Judah. This is what it will look like. They will speak the truth to each other, and seek and administer justice. They will not conspire to do evil and will not swear falsely. Jesus went beyond this on the Sermon on the Mount, telling His listeners not to swear at all. (Matthew 5:33-37) But in court, one takes an oath - Jesus’ point is that if you always tell the truth, you shouldn’t need to take an oath because the truth speaks for itself. (John 14:6) 
• Zechariah 8:18-19 Truth and Justice permeating society brings peace. The official religious holy days prescribed by Moses become celebrations of God’s goodness. Hence, their faith is practiced both in daily relationship with Him, and in religious rites that honor Him. When they fast physical food, it is to feast on God and His presence. As should still be the case when we fast today! 
• Zechariah 8:20-22 The Lord’s blessing on the Jews will be so widely known that other nations from around the world will come to Israel to seek the Lord’s presence.
• Zechariah 8:23 As Jesus would later say, they will be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. People will plead with them for the privilege of going with them to be in the Lord’s presence. Does that characterize our faith-life today?

The blessings that the Lord gives to people and communities that live a life of faith in, obedience to, and fellowship with Him do make others jealous. They say things to the effect of obviously we can worship God be cause our lives are so blessed. This reverses cause and effect. But even Satan, who fully understood God’s love and holiness, wanted autonomy - to be able to decide right and wrong for himself. That’s what free will is, for angels and humans. We are free to choose what we want. But we don’t have the power to make bad things produce good fruit. Sowing and reaping is built into existence. Wanting cause and effect to be eliminated simply makes no sense, just as trying to repeal the laws of physics. The Lord’s appeal to us, to everyone, is to recognize the eternal realities of His ways and live accordingly, so that we can reap the blessings that logically follow. 

Zechariah 1-6 Eight visions

Zechariah 1

Zechariah 1:1 Zechariah prophesied the same year as Haggai. (Haggai 2:1,2:10)

Zechariah 1:2-6 The message that you reap what you sow was repeated by virtually every minor prophet, in one form or another. Here, at least, is the acknowledgement that the Israelites learned their lesson after the spanking. They ignored God’s commands and warnings, and found out He was serious. The hard way. There a curious contrast between 1:2 and 1:15. Just how angry was the Lord? 

Zechariah 1:7-11 The first of eight visions: Zechariah sees several horses that are red, brown, and white, standing among Myrtle trees. Since the Lord sent them to scout the entire earth, they must be angelic. That they found the world at rest and in peace is the opposite of the four horses released when the first four seals will be broken by the Lamb standing before the throne at the end times. (Revelation 6:1-8) Those horses will bring conquest, war, famine, and death as dimensions of judgment on the earth. This peace in Zechariah’s day was under Persia’s rule.

Zechariah 1:12-17 The angel of the Lord appears many times in the Old Testament. Many think this is the pre-incarnate Christ, although he may be the highest ranking of the created angels. A separate discussion. Rather than God speaking directly to the prophet, the angel of the Lord asked a question of Him, and then relayed His answer to the prophet. He will stretch His measuring line over Jerusalem, to give comfort and prosperity to His people. The measuring line returns in the third vision, but in other passages, it appears to signify God’s standards, the eternal metrics that govern eternity and the spiritual realm. (Isaiah 28:17, 34:11; Ezekiel 47:3) That He will bless Jerusalem with prosperity and comfort conveys to us that His eternal standards bring prosperity and comfort. His kingdom is not one  of suffering and meager provision, it is just that prospering in the spiritual dimension requires us to shed worldly things that seem to us to be wealth and comfortable. 

Zechariah 1:18-21 The second of eight visions: The four horns that scattered the disobedient Jews are not new. Daniel saw them in a vision decades earlier. (Daniel 7:8-11) But here we have the judgment of these nations, who acted as wild beasts in dismembering Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem. God raised up skilled laborers to dethrone and destroy those savage warriors in the spiritual realm, who led the other nations against the Jews to scatter them. There is a possible interpretation of this passage relating to spiritual warfare. While humans may not have the powers of demonic fallen angels, if they are faithful to study God’s word and His ways, and commit themselves to faithfully do what He calls them to, they may have authority in spiritual realms to bind, even to cast down those evil spirits. This is not something to be done lightly, but some have this calling. They will need the skill that can only come by spiritual exercise and training. (Mark 10:42; Luke 10:19) The authority belongs to Christ but He shares it with those skilled craftsmen that He can entrust it to. (Colossians 2:10) 

Zechariah 2

Zechariah 2:1-2 The third of eight visions: A man with a measuring line is measuring Jerusalem.  This seems to signify God’s transcendent standards, that govern the eternal and spiritual realm, as mentioned above.  This is perhaps akin to Ezekiel’s vision of the measurement of water trickling from the temple that becomes a mighty river that no one could cross. (Ezekiel 47:1-5) This passage continues in a different direction.

Zechariah 2:3-5 The angel Reveals to Zechariah that Jerusalem would be so populous that walls could not contain it. In Zechariah’s day, there would have been danger in not having defensive walls, but the Lord promises that His defense, as a wall of fire, will protect them. Not only that, but He will reveal His glory within it, which will be seen as fire. (Acts 2:3) This vision clearly was not a description of the returning exiles in Zechariah’s day. But a similar description is later given of the new Jerusalem, after the end of the millennium, when God establishes His kingdom permanently on earth. (Revelation 21:2-4, 10-27) 

Zechariah 2:6-9 The Lord calls the people of the diaspora to come. It seems odd that He would call Babylon a daughter, but that is where many of His people are. Zion is His daughter (2:10) He allowed His people to be taken and He now wants them to return. 

Zechariah 2:10-13 Adding to this, He will live among them so that they truly will be His people, as promised to Moses. (Leviticus 26:12) In Moses’ day, the Lord was among them as a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. (Exodus 13:21-22) Jesus came as a man who walked and taught and showed them God’s true nature and character - the divine in bodily form. (Hebrews 1:3) Since we have the gospel, we are used to the idea of the incarnation, but to the Jews of that day, this was a pagan concept, akin to Greek mythology, of the gods masquerading as humans so they could fulfill their own desires. But Jesus would come (a few hundred years later) to show that what the one true God desires is fellowship and lives lived in accordance with His holiness and His agape love, that Jesus lived.

Zechariah 3

Zechariah 3:1-5 The fourth of eight visions: Joshua, the high priest, is symbolically reclothed with fine garments and a clean turban.

Zechariah 3:1 Jesus is our high priest (Hebrews 8:1-2), Joshua (or Yeshua) being the original Hebrew version of His name, translated into English as Jesus. 

Zechariah 3:2-5 This Joshua, the earthly high priest in Zechariah’s day, was symbolically dressed in dirty clothes, as he lived in a culture that was still heavily polluted by sin, as the Jews were recovering from the pre-exilic sins that caused God to allow Babylon to conquer them. They had been spanked, but now had to acquire new lifestyles and behaviors. And the promise given to the returning Jews is that the Lord will not only forgive their sins, He will also clothe their lives with healthy lifestyles through His power. Jesus took away Joshua’s sin. (John 1:29, Romans 11:27, 1 John 3:5) His indwelling His people, through the Holy Spirit (in the New Testament) will empower them. (John 14:15-17)

Zechariah 3:6-7 A conditional promise: If you will walk in obedience and keep His commandments, then you will have your place among the heavenly court. Receive what God has given you, and you will be eternally blessed!

Zechariah 3:8-9 A promise laden with symbols is explained. The Lord’s servant, the branch, is coming. He was also spoken of by other prophets, and then Jesus is explicitly identified in the New Testament. (Isaiah 4:2, Jeremiah 33:5&15; John 15:1-6) Jesus is the vine of true life and He can only give us His life if we are connected to Him. In Revelation, the seven eyes of the Lamb are seven spirits of God sent out to the earth. (Revelation 5:6) God sees everything that happens everywhere on earth - there is no place where you or your enemies can hide from His sight. He will remove sin in a single day, on a hill called Calvary (which means, the skull) five hundred years later.

Zechariah 3:10 Isaiah also invoked the fruit of the vine (grapes) and fig tree, both sweet to the taste (without any refined sugar needed) as symbolic of the fruit in our lives that will flow in that day, from this promised life in Jesus. (Isaiah 36:16; Matthew 26:27-29)

Zechariah 4

Zechariah 4:1-14 The fifth of eight visions: A golden lamp stand and two olive trees.

Zechariah 4:1-5 Zechariah sees the vision and asks the angel what these things are. The angel seemed surprised that he didn’t know. The golden lamp stand’s description matches that of a menorah, which burns olive oil. Olive trees represent peace, so this represents peace through light. In John’s vision of Christ, Jesus is standing in front of seven golden lamp stands. (Revelation 1:12) Not sure what the significance is of the difference. 

Zechariah 4:6 Often quoted verse. The point is, we can’t do it by ourselves, no matter how powerful or capable we are. To accomplish God’s purposes and build His kingdom, we need the power of the Holy Spirit.

Zechariah 4:7 Mighty mountains are not a problem for those walking in God’s power. Jesus went further than saying they will become level ground, promising that those with faith could command mountains to be cast into the sea. (Matthew 21:21; Mark 11:23) And then, the capstone to the Temple will be blessed. This was fulfilled by Jesus a few hundred years later. (Mark 11:9-10)

Zechariah 4:8-10 After the foundation of this earthly temple is laid and the capstone is brought by Zerubbabel the seven eyes of the Lord will rejoice. (3:9)

Zechariah 4:11-14 The two olive branches are two people who are anointed to serve the Lord. While Joshua and Zerubbabel were thus designated in Zechariah’s day, in the last days, they will be two witnesses who are anointed with power for 1,260 days. (Revelation 11:3-6)

Zechariah 5

Zechariah 5:1-4  The sixth of eight visions: A flying scroll. Zechariah sees an enormous flying scroll, 4.57 meters wide and 9.14 meters long. This scroll is a curse, likely as described by Moses for lawbreakers. (Deuteronomy 27:26, 28:15) Two specific commandments are identified as having been broken: stealing and lying. (Exodus 20:15-16) Exile is prescribed. (Deuteronomy 28:36) This is exactly what had happened to Israel. The warning is not to repeat the same mistake. The curse of the scroll, however, is destruction of the house of the lawbreaker. (Proverbs 14:11) Question - while 5:4 identifies timber and stones, does destroying the house of a person really refer to the persons family, their descendants? A physical house can be replaced, but the loss of all one’s offspring is the irreversible end of that house.

Zechariah 5:5-11 The seventh of eight visions: A basket holding a woman of wickedness. The basket itself represents iniquity, and it contains wickedness. Perhaps this represents Ishtar, if the returning Israelites had brought some Babylonian religion with them.  In this case, two women with stork-like wings carry the basket to Babylon. Perhaps this represents cleansing Israel, but at the cost of further contaminating Babylon. At the end times, Babylon will be filled with and represent the epitome of evil. (Revelation 18:1-3) This will happen when the times are ripe, when everything is ready. 

Zechariah 6

Zechariah 6:1-8 The last of the eight visions: The four chariots. A notable match to the horses’ colors seen by John on the Island of Patmos. (Revelation 6:1-8) Zechariah asks for an explanation, which is given that these are spirits of heaven that go out into the whole earth. In Zechariah’s case, those in the north have given God’s Spirit rest, represented by the chariot with black horses. In John’s vision, the white horse carried a conqueror, the red horse’s rider had the power to take away peace and make men kill each other, the black horse’s rider brought famine and scarcity, and the pale horse’s rider was named death and brought hades with him. The significance of the chariots that Zechariah saw, as contrasted with riders on horses that John saw, is possibly cultural. Chariots are instruments of war, while riders are more likely messengers or spies. 

Zechariah 6:9-15 Zechariah is instructed to get gold and silver from three returning exiles, and take them to a metal smith to have him make a crown for Joshua the high priest.  Joshua, Yeshua, will be named the branch. This symbolizes that he will branch out to build the temple of the Lord and sit and rule on his throne. This sounds a lot like Jesus! And during the last supper Jesus identified Himself as the vine, and His disciples as branches. (John 15:1-6) 

How does a priest become a ruler? He is clothed with majesty by the supreme power. This is described in the epistle to the Hebrews in which Jesus’ obedience led to Him being designated a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 5:5-10) This was after He was already identified as having sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. (Hebrews 1:1-4) Jesus did this after having made purification of sins. It was the self-sacrificial love of Jesus that qualified Him to be both king and high priest. Joshua, by name, represents a foretaste of the future work of Christ.