6:1–8 Redeemed, Refined, and Restored
G e n e s i s E x o d u s L e v i t i c u s N u m b e r s D e u t e r o n o m y J o s h u a J u d g e s R u t h
1 S a m u e l 2 S a m u e l 1 K i n g s 2 K i n g s 1 C h r o n i c l e s 2 C h r o n i c l e s E z r a N e h e m i a h
E s t h e r J o b P s a l m s P r o v e r b s E c c l e s i a s t e s S o n g o f
J e r e m i a h L a m e n t a t i o n s E z e k i e l D a n i e l H o s e a J o e l A m o s O b a d i a h
J o n a h M i c a h N a h u m H a b a k k u k Z e p h a n i a h H a g g a i Zechariah M a l a c h i
IV. GOD REDEEMS HIS PEOPLE (9:1—14:21)
OUTLINE Key theme: God's jealous concern for Jerusalem
Two oracles A. The rejection of Messiah—9:1—11:17 B. The return and reign of Messiah— and the Jews Key verse: Zechariah 1:14
12:1—14:21
I. GOD CALLS HIS PEOPLE TO REPENT (1:1–6)
The messages in chapters 1—8 were given to Zechariah during the building of the temple, and those in chapters 9—14 after the temple was completed.
II. GOD ENCOURAGES HIS PEOPLE TO TRUST
HIM (1:7—6:15)
A. Eight night visions
1. The horsemen: God watches the nations—1:7–17 2. The horns and smiths: the nations judged—1:18–21 3. The measuring line: Jerusalem restored—2:1–13 4.The high priest: Israel cleansed—3:1–10 5. The olive trees: God empowers His people—4:1–14 6. The flying scroll: evil purged from the land—5:1–4 7. The ephah: evil taken to Babylon— 5:5–11 8. The four chariots: the Gentiles judged— 6:1–8 B. The crowning of Joshua: Messiah will
CONTENTS
Zechariah 1—2 1500 God and His People
Zechariah 3—4 1503 God and His Leaders
Zechariah 5—6 1507 God and the Nations
Zechariah 7—8 1511 Truth, Traditions, and Promises
Zechariah 9—11 1514 Messiah, the Shepherd-King
Zechariah 12—14 1518 Redeemed, Refined, and Restored reign—6:9–15
III. GOD INSTRUCTS HIS PEOPLE (7:1—8:23)
A. About true fasting—7:1–7 B. About obedience to the Word—7:8–14 C. About Jerusalem's future—8:1–23
Zechariah 1 warned Judah and Jerusalem that judgment was coming from the north (Babylon) and that the Jews would be exiled for seventy years (Jer. 1:13–16; 4:5–9; 6:22–26; 25:1–14). "And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy" (2 Chron. 36:15–16 nkjv).
CHAPTER ONE Zechariah 1—2 GOD AND HIS PEOPLE A young preacher in his first pastorate phoned me for encouragement "Most of the people in the church are older than I am," he said. "I wonder if they pay any attention to me. I feel like I'm out of place preaching to them."
Then, Zechariah shared God's promise with them: "Return to me … and I will return to you" (Zech. 1:3 niv). God had left His people to their own ways, and that was why they were experiencing so much trouble. Haggai had already told them this in his first message (Hag. 1), but it was worth repeating. "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8 nkjv). A. W. Tozer reminds us that "nearness is likeness,"2 so, if we want to be close to God, we must be obedient and develop godly character. The remnant had not put God first, so He couldn't bless them as He desired to do.
Since I had faced the same situation in my first church, I was able to give him the same answer a veteran pastor gave me when I asked for help. "As long as you're delivering God's message, don't worry about how old you are. When you open that Bible, you're over two thousand years old!"
I. God calls His people to repent (1:1–6)
Zechariah1 was a young man (Zech. 2:4) when God called him to minister to the struggling Jewish remnant trying to rebuild their temple in the ruined city of Jerusalem. The elder prophet Haggai had delivered two of his messages before Zechariah joined him in ministry, and the two of them served God together for a short time. Haggai had gotten the building program going again after a sixteen-year hiatus, and now Zechariah would encourage the people to finish their work. God gave the young man "good and comforting words" (1:13, 17) to assure the people that, in spite of the hard times, God was with them and would see them through.
At this point, Zechariah asked them two questions: "Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever?" (Zech. 1:5). Had the listeners answered honestly, they would have said, "Many of our fathers are dead because they were slain by the Babylonians, and some are still in exile in Babylon. Some of the prophets are dead because our ancestors killed them."
But the point Zechariah was making was that the death of the prophets indicated the loss of opportunity for the nation. God gave the Jews ample time to repent and escape punishment, but they wasted their opportunity, and now it was too late. However, the Word of God, spoken and written by the prophets, can never die, and that Word eventually "catches up with" rebellious sinners (v. 6; "take hold of"; "overtake" niv). Once God's longsuffering runs out, His living words will track down the offenders and judge them.3
The prophet had two major emphases as he began his ministry to the remnant: God was calling them to repent, and God was assuring them of His personal concern. In a series of eight night visions, God explained His involvement with His people.
God Calls His People to Repent (1:1–6) A preacher's first sermon is usually difficult to deliver, but in Zechariah's case, his first message was doubly difficult because of the theme—repentance. God commanded His young servant to call the discouraged remnant to turn from their wicked ways and obey His Word. Zechariah boldly proclaimed what God told him to say, for, after all, the Lord couldn't bless His chosen people until they were clean in His sight. If Zechariah had wanted to quote a text for his sermon, it could well have been 2 Chronicles 7:14, a verse the Jewish people knew well.
Some of their forefathers did repent (v. 6), but their repentance came too late to prevent the destruction of Jerusalem and the deportation of the people. Some Jews may have repented when Nebuchadnezzar and his army arrived at the gates of Jerusalem, while others turned to God while exiled in Babylon. They admitted that their punishment was deserved and that God was just (see Lam. 2:17).
By calling the people to repent, Zechariah was preparing them for the messages he would give them, for unless our hearts are right with God, we can't hear His Word with true spiritual comprehension. "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts" (Heb. 3:7 nkjv).
Zechariah invited the people to look back and recall what their forefathers had done to provoke the Lord to anger and judgment (Zech. 1:2, 4). The Jewish people who had returned to the land knew their nation's history very well. They knew that God had sent prophet after prophet to plead with their forefathers to turn from idolatry and return to the Lord, but the nation had refused to listen.
We occasionally hear evangelists calling lost sinners to repent, and this is good and biblical. But we rarely hear preachers calling God's people to repent, even though this was the message of the prophets, John the Baptist, and Jesus. "The last word of our Lord to the
Isaiah had warned the leaders that God would discipline the nation if they didn't change their ways (Isa. 2:6—3:26; 5:1–30; 29:1–14). Jeremiah wept as he
Zechariah 1 heaven (Rev. 6:10). That the Son of God should so identify Himself with the cries of His people reveals His compassion and concern. "In all their distress he too was distressed" (Isa. 63:9 niv).
church is not the Great Commission," said Vance Havner. "The Great Commission is indeed our program to the end of the age, but our Lord's last word to the church is 'Repent.'"4 It's one thing to ask God to bless us but quite another to be the kind of people He can bless!
Jeremiah had promised that God's blessing would come after the seventy years of captivity (Jer. 25:8–14; 29:10–11), but the nation was still suffering.5 Why? Because they forgot that God had attached conditions to that blessing: the people had to repent, call upon God, and seek Him with all their heart, the very thing Zechariah had preached. Intercession for Israel should still be a part of our prayers. Moses (Ex. 32; Deut. 9:18), the prophets (1 Sam. 12:23; 1 Kings 18; Jer. 9:1; Hab. 3), Jesus (Luke 23:34), and Paul (Rom. 10:1) all prayed for Israel; good examples for us to follow. "You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth" (Isa. 62:6–7 niv). "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; they shall prosper that love thee" (Ps. 122:6).
God Comforts His People (1:7–17) About three months later, during the night of February 15, 519, Zechariah had a series of eight visions that God gave to encourage the remnant and motivate them to finish rebuilding the temple. These visions focus primarily on God's ministry to Israel and His judgment on the Gentile nations that have afflicted Israel.
The army (vv. 7–11). In the first vision, the prophet saw a man on a red (bay) horse, leading an army astride red, brown, and white horses. This "man among the myrtle trees" was the Angel of the Lord (vv. 11–13), the second Person of the Godhead, who in Old Testament times made temporary preincarnate appearances on earth. As the Angel of the Lord, the Son of God appeared to Hagar (Gen. 16:7–14), Abraham (18; 22:11–18), Jacob (31:11, 13), Moses (Ex. 3), Gideon (Judg. 6:11–23), and Samson's parents (Judg. 13).
The answer (vv. 13–17). After interceding for Israel, the Lord gave "comforting words" to the angel to give to the prophet.6 He affirmed His jealous love and concern for Jerusalem (see 8:2). God is jealous over His chosen people as a husband is jealous over his wife and as parents over their children (Ex. 20:5; Deut. 4:24; 5:9; 6:15). This explains why the Lord accused the Jews of adultery and unfaithfulness whenever they were guilty of worshipping heathen gods (Jer. 2:1–3; 3:14; 31:32; Hos. 1). Worldliness on the part of Christians is also pictured as "spiritual adultery" (James 4:4–10).
II. God encourages His people to trust Him (1:7—6:15) A.Eight night visions
But there was also an "interpreting angel" there who explained various things to Zechariah (Zech. 1:9, 13–14, 19; 2:3; 4:1, 4–5; 5:10; 6:4–5). Ten times during these visions, Zechariah asked questions of this angel and received replies (1:9, 19, 21; 2:2; 4:4, 11–12; 5:5, 10; 6:6). "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5 nkjv). "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will show them his covenant" (Ps. 25:14).
1. The horsemen: God watches the nations— 1:7–17 2. The horns and smiths: the nations judged— 1:18–21
The Lord was angry with the Gentile nations because they had been unnecessarily brutal toward the Jews. True, God had called Assyria to punish the northern kingdom of Israel, and Babylon to chasten Judah; but these nations went beyond what God called them to do and tried to destroy the Jews. Other nations, like Moab, had also joined in the assault (see Ps. 83; 137).
In this first vision, the Angel of the Lord taught Zechariah the meaning of the horsemen (Zech. 1:10): they are God's angelic army that patrols the earth and carries out the decrees of the Lord (v. 11; and see Deut. 33:2; 1 Kings 22:19; Job 1:6–7; 2:1–2; Dan. 7:10; Matt. 27:63). Jehovah is "Lord of hosts," the Commander of the armies of heaven and earth.
But the Lord's most heartening words had to do with Judah's future, not her enemies, for God promised to return to His people and prosper their nation. He would comfort Zion and prove to the enemy nations that Jerusalem was indeed His chosen city. This promise is repeated and expanded in the rest of Zechariah's prophecy.
The messengers reported that the Gentile nations were "at rest and in peace." After the upheaval of empires and Persia's conquest of Babylon and other nations, this would appear to be an encouraging report, but it really wasn't. The Jewish remnant was in distress, while the Gentile powers were at ease. Haggai had promised that the Lord would shake the nations and redeem His people (Hag. 2:6–9, 20–23), but this important event hadn't occurred yet. The kingdom promised by the prophets seemed to be a dream that would never come true.
When our situation appears to be hopeless, we must remind ourselves that God identifies with our sufferings and is in charge of the future. Our responsibility is to repent, confess our sins, and believe His "comforting words." His responsibility is to respond to our faith and work out His perfect will for us.
God Vindicates His People (1:18–21) Over the centuries, the Jews have suffered repeatedly at the hands of many nations, and yet they have survived. But every nation that has sought to destroy the Jews has discovered the truth of God's promise to Abraham, "I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you" (Gen. 12:3 nkjv).
The appeal (v. 12). A remarkable thing happened: the Son of God interceded for the people of God who were in great affliction! For centuries, "How long?" has been the cry of suffering people, especially the people of Israel (Ps. 74:9–10; 79:5; 80:4; 89:46; Hab. 1:2). "How long?" is even the cry of the martyred saints in
Zechariah 1—2
The man with the measuring line is evidently the Angel of the Lord, Israel's Messiah. Leaders and diplomats may debate over who shall control Jerusalem, but the Lord Jesus Christ has the final word. By measuring the city, He declares that it is His and He will accomplish His divine purposes for the city no matter what leaders and international assemblies may decide.
That's the message of the second vision that God gave to Zechariah: the nations that have scattered the Jews will be terrified and thrown down by God's agents of judgment. In a letter to President Ronald Reagan, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin wrote, "My generation, dear Ron, swore on the altar of God that whoever proclaims the intent of destroying the Jewish state or the Jewish people, or both, seals his fate."7 But it's the Lord who does the judging, not the armies of Israel, and His judgments are never wrong.
But this symbolic act declares something else: Jerusalem will enjoy future expansion and glory such as the city has never experienced. The population will spill over the walls; in fact, there will be no need of walls because God will be a "wall of fire" around His people. (See Isa. 49:13–21; 54:1–3.) The small remnant of Jews in ruined Jerusalem were helping to keep alive a city that would one day be greatly honored and blessed by Almighty God!
In Scripture, a horn is a symbol of power, especially the power of a nation or a ruler (Ps. 75:4–5; 89:17; 92:10; Jer. 48:25; Amos 6:13; Dan. 7:7–12; 8:1ff.; Rev. 17). The four "smiths" (artisans, craftsmen) represent nations that God uses to defeat the enemies of the Jews. They would use their "tools" to cut off the horns and render them powerless.
Admonition (vv. 6–9). The Lord admonished the Jews yet in Babylon to leave the city and join the remnant in Jerusalem. Why remain in the comfort and security of a pagan society when they were desperately needed in their own land? The day would come when Babylon, now under Persian rule, would be judged for her sins, and those who served her would plunder her. Get out while there is still opportunity!
The concept of four horns (nations) reminds us of Daniel's visions of the image (Dan. 2) and the beasts (Dan. 7), both of which speak of four empires: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome.8 In 722, Assyria devastated the northern kingdom of Israel, but God raised up Babylon to defeat Assyria (Jer. 25:9; 27:6) and eventually take Judah into captivity in 586. Babylon did indeed oppress the Jews, but then God raised up Cyrus to conquer Babylon in 539 (Isa. 44:28; 45:1); and in 538, he permitted the Jews to return to their land. The Persians were conquered by the Greeks, under Alexander the Great,9 and Greece was conquered by Rome.
This admonition didn't imply that every Jew who remained in Babylon was out of the will of God. Just as God sent Joseph to Egypt to prepare the way for his family, so He had people like Esther and Mordecai, Daniel and his friends, and Nehemiah in places of authority in pagan cities where they could do the work He planned for them to do. The Lord was summoning the Jews who were putting comfort, vocation, and security ahead of doing God's work in their own sacred city. (See Isa. 48:20; 52:11; Jer. 50:8; 51:6, 9, 45; 2 Cor. 6:14–18; Rev. 18:4.)
3. The measuring line: Jerusalem restored— 2:1–13
This scenario suggests that the "horns" also became "smiths" as each empire conquered the previous oppressors. It also reminds the Jews of God's providential care in the past and His promise of protection for the future, for God will not permit any nation to annihilate His chosen people. In the last days, when Antichrist, the "dreadful and terrible beast," establishes his kingdom (Dan. 7:7–8, 15–28) and persecutes the Jews, he and his kingdom will be destroyed by the return of Jesus Christ in glory and power. Zechariah will have more to say about this in the last part of his book.
The Jews are very precious to God; He called them "the apple [pupil] of his eye" (Zech. 2:8; Deut. 32:10; Ps. 17:8). The pupil is the tiny opening in the iris that lets in the light, and this is a very delicate and important area of that vital organ. Hence, anything dear and precious is like the pupil of the eye.10
Messiah is still speaking when He says, "He [God the Father] sent Me after glory" (Zech. 2:8 nkjv), that is, "to bring Him glory." The whole purpose of Christ's life on earth, His ministry, and His death and resurrection, was to bring glory to God (John 1:14; 12:23, 28; 17:4); and part of that glory will involve the future restoration of Israel in the kingdom when He reigns on earth (Isa. 61:3–11).
God Will Restore His People (2:1–13) The remnant that had returned to Judah was concerned about rebuilding the temple and restoring the city and the nation, but their work was extremely difficult. In this vision, God assured His people that He planned future glory and honor for them and their city when He Himself would come to dwell with them.
Acclamation (vv. 10–13). Promises like these ought to make God's people "sing and rejoice" ("shout and be glad" niv). Their Messiah will come and dwell with them, just as the glory of God had dwelt in the tabernacle and the temple. Ezekiel describes the new city and temple in Ezekiel 40—48, and closes his book by naming the glorious new city "Jehovah Shammah," which means "the Lord is there" (48:35). In that day, many Gentiles will trust in the Lord and be joined with Israel in the glorious kingdom over which
Anticipation (vv. 1–3). If a total stranger came into my house and began to measure the windows for curtains and the floor for carpeting, I'd probably ask him to leave. After all, you measure property that belongs to you, over which you have authority. When the prophet saw a man measuring Jerusalem, it was evidence that Jerusalem was God's city and that one day He would claim it and restore it in glory.
Zechariah 2—3
Messiah will reign (Isa. 2:1–5; 19:23–25; 60:1–3; Zech. 8:20–23).
4 See Revelation 2:5, 16, 21–22; 3:3, 19. Five of the seven churches to which Jesus wrote were commanded to repent. 5 Students of prophecy aren't agreed as to the starting date for the captivity. If you begin with 606–605, when the first prisoners were taken to Babylon, then the captivity ended in 537 when the Jews returned to Judah, led by Zerubbabel and Joshua. If you count from the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 586, then the captivity ended with the dedication of the second temple in 515. If the latter date is what the Lord had in mind, then the completing of the temple was indeed a key event. However, the question in Zechariah 1:12 implies that the seventy years were now over. 6 Jeremiah lamented that nobody had comforted Jerusalem after the city was destroyed (Lam. 1:2, 9, 16–17, 21). 7 The London Observer, 2 Jan. 1983. Quoted in The Columbia Dictionary of Quotations, compiled by Robert Andrews (New York: Columbia University Press, 1993), 477. 8 The neo-Roman Empire appears again at the end of the age under the control of the Beast (Dan. 7:8; Rev. 13). This empire will be destroyed by the return of Christ in power and great glory (Dan. 2:44–45; 7:9ff.). 9 Alexander's conquests are mentioned in Zechariah 9:1–8, 13. 10 The word pupil comes from the Latin pupilla, "a tiny doll," referring to the small reflection you see of yourself when you look into another's eyes. The Hebrew word for "apple" (pupil) in Deuteronomy 32:10 is literally "little man."
Zechariah 2:12 is the only place in Scripture where Palestine is called "the holy land." That designation is often used today, but it really doesn't apply. The land will not be holy until Messiah cleanses the people and the land when He returns to reign (3:9). A fountain will be opened to wash away sin and uncleanness (13:1), and then the Jews shall be called "the holy people" (Isa. 62:12). That's something to shout about!
But it's also something to make the nations of the world pause and consider in awesome silence (Zech. 2:13; Hab. 2:20; Zeph. 1:7). Why? Because before Messiah comes to reign, He will judge the nations of the earth during that period of time called "the time of Jacob's trouble" (Jer. 30:7), "the day of the Lord" (Isa. 2:12; 13:6, 9; Joel 1:15; 2:1ff.; Zech. 14:1), and "the great tribulation" (Matt. 24:21; Rev. 6—19). It will be a time of intense suffering when the nations will receive their just sentence for their inhumanity and ungodliness. When the Lord has "roused himself from his holy dwelling" (Zech. 2:13 niv), the nations of the world will experience divine wrath; and there will be no escape.
As you review these three night visions, you learn that God watches the nations and knows what they are doing; that He judges the nations for their sins, especially for their mistreatment of Israel; and that there is a glorious future planned for Jerusalem and the Jewish nation, when Messiah will return to cleanse them and restore the glory of God in their midst.
CHAPTER TWO Zechariah 3—4 GOD AND HIS LEADERS A
No wonder we're taught to pray, "Thy kingdom come" (Matt. 6:10); for when we pray that prayer, we are praying for the peace of Jerusalem. And there can be no true peace in Jerusalem until the Prince of Peace reigns in glory.
ccording to management experts James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, one of the popular myths about leadership is that "leaders are prescient visionaries with Merlin-like powers."1 In other words, leaders know everything and can do anything. But if that were true, leadership wouldn't be the difficult and demanding task that it is. Certainly successful leaders enjoy the "peaks" and "perks" that go with their positions, but they also have to deal with the valleys and sacrifices that are also a big part of the job. Real leadership isn't easy.
Notes
1 Zechariah the postexilic prophet must not be confused with the Zechariah who was martyred in the days of King Joash (2 Chron. 24:20–22) and to whom Jesus referred (Matt. 23:35). Their fathers had the same first name, but this wasn't uncommon in Bible times. Since the Hebrew Bible ends with 2 Chronicles, Jesus was saying, "From the beginning of the Scriptures [Abel's murder in Genesis] to the very end of the Scriptures [Zechariah's murder in 2 Chron.], all the innocent blood that was shed will be held against you." We have no evidence that the Zechariah who ministered with Haggai was ever slain. 2 See chapter 29 of Born After Midnight, by A. W. Tozer (Christian Publications, 1959). 3 The Jews certainly knew the terms of God's covenant. If they obeyed, the blessing would overtake them (Deut. 28:2), but if they disobeyed, the curses would catch up with them. "But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God … that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you. … Moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed" (Deut. 28:15, 45 nkjv).
Zechariah 3 and 4 focus on Joshua and Zerubbabel, the two leaders of the Jewish remnant who knew how tough it is to lead. Joshua was high priest and had the concern for the spiritual life of the people, while Zerubbabel was governor and had the responsibility of managing the civil affairs of the nation. But their work wasn't easy. Zerubbabel was trying to motivate people who were discouraged and selfish, and Joshua was trying to educate people who were disobedient and sinful. Is there any hope for a defiled and discouraged nation, or a defiled and discouraged church or individual?
4. The high priest: Israel cleansed—3:1–10
Yes, there is! God gave the prophet Zechariah two visions that speak to us today and encourage us to keep serving the Lord no matter how difficult the people or circumstances may be.
Zechariah 3
God Cleanses His People for Service (3:1–10) Haggai's first message (Hag. 1:1–11) and Zechariah's call to repentance (Zech. 1:1–6) are evidence that the spiritual level of the Jewish remnant was very low.2 Most of these people had been born in Babylon, where there wasn't much religious example or instruction to nourish their worship of Jehovah; and the difficult circumstances in their own land tested their faith greatly.
when we do sin (1 John 2:1–2). Don't get the erroneous idea that the Father yearns to punish us and the Son pleads with Him to change His mind, because that isn't the picture at all. The Father and the Son both love us and want the best for us, but God can't ignore our sins and still be a holy God.
This explains why Jesus took His wounds back to heaven with Him (Luke 24:39–40; John 20:20, 25–27): they prove that He was "delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification" (Rom. 3:25 niv). Satan cannot accuse us, nor God condemn us, for sins for which Christ died! "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1).
The accused (3:1a, 3). Joshua stood before the Lord as a representative of Israel, a people He had called to be a holy nation of priests (Ex. 19:5–6). He wore filthy clothes, not because he was sinful personally, but because the people had sinned and were unclean in God's sight. The emphasis here is on the nation collectively and not on Joshua individually, for both Joshua and Zerubbabel were "men symbolic of things to come" (v. 8 niv). God had chosen Jerusalem and had plucked the Jews out of the fire of Babylonian captivity (v. 2). What God did for Joshua symbolically He would do for Israel personally: the iniquity of the land would be removed in a day (v. 9).
The Lord rebuked Satan on the basis of His own electing grace: He had chosen Jerusalem and the Jewish nation in His own love and grace (Deut. 7:7–11; Ps. 33:12; 132:13). He had not chosen them because of their good works, so how could He condemn them for their bad works? "Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us" (Rom. 8:33–34 nkjv).
To "stand before the Lord" means to be in a place of service (Gen. 41:46; Deut. 10:8; 1 Sam. 16:21), so the Jews became defiled while they were attempting to serve the Lord. If their service was unclean in God's sight, what must their deliberate sins have been like! The Hebrew word translated "filthy" denotes the worst kind of defilement possible for a Jew. According to Merrill Unger, the word can be translated "excrementcovered."3
God proved His grace to Israel by rescuing them from Babylonian captivity; the Jews were "a brand plucked out of the fire" (Zech. 3:2; see Amos 4:11). Scripture often compares Israel's sufferings to going through the fire. Their trials in Egypt were like being in a furnace (Deut. 4:20), and the exile in Babylon was compared to being refined in the fire (Isa. 48:10; see 43:1–6). When Israel goes through the tribulation in the end times, it will be an experience of refining (Zech. 13:9; Jer. 30:7).
Since the priests were commanded to keep themselves clean at all times, on penalty of death (Ex. 28:39–43; 30:17–21), Joshua's wearing filthy garments would be a terrible personal embarrassment and an offense against God's law. Those garments were "for glory and for beauty" (Ex. 28:2, 40), but the Lord saw neither glory nor beauty as He beheld His servant.
The answer (vv. 4–5). The same Savior who died for our sins arose from the dead and now intercedes for His people at the throne of God (Heb. 7:23–28). "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). God's reply to Satan's accusation was to say to the angels before His throne, "Take away the filthy garments from him." This is forgiveness.
The accuser (v. 1b). Zechariah has described a courtroom scene in which Joshua is the defendant, God is the Judge, Satan is the prosecuting attorney, and Jesus Christ is the defense attorney, the Advocate of God's people before the holy throne of God (1 John 2:1–2). The word Satan means "adversary" and refers to the enemy who resists God's work and God's people. Satan has access to the throne of God (Job 1—2), where he accuses God's people (Rev. 12:10). When Satan talks to us about God, he lies, but when he talks to God about us, he tells the truth!
He gave a word of assurance to Joshua: "See, I have taken away your sin" (Zech. 3:4 niv). Believers today know they are forgiven when they confess their sins, because they have the assurance of His promise. According to 1 John 1:9, God is not only faithful (to His promise), but He is also just (toward His Son) and will not condemn His people for sins for which His own Son had already been condemned.
God's throne is a throne of justice and God is a righteous Judge. Knowing this, Satan pointed out Joshua's defilement, which symbolized the defilement of the nation, and insisted that a holy God punish His sinful people. It seemed like an airtight case, except for one factor: the grace of God.
But God in His grace goes beyond forgiveness and clothes us in His own righteousness. "I will put rich garments on you" (Zech. 3:4 niv). Adam and Eve tried to hide their guilt under garments of their own making (Gen. 3:7), but God killed animals and clothed them in skins (v. 21). Blood was shed that sin might be forgiven. "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
The Advocate (vv. 2–5). Christ's present ministry in heaven is twofold. He's our High Priest, interceding for us and giving us the grace we need for life and service here on earth (Heb. 4:14–16; 13:20–21); and He's our Advocate, representing us before the throne of God
Zechariah 3—4
21:42; Eph. 2:19–22; 1 Peter 2:7; see Zech. 10:4 niv), a stone of stumbling (Isa. 8:14; 1 Peter 2:8; Rom. 9:32–33), the rejected stone (Ps. 118:22–23; Matt. 21:42), the smitten stone (Ex. 17:6; 1 Cor. 10:4), and the smiting stone (Dan. 2:34–35). At His first advent, Jesus was a stumbling stone to Israel who rejected Him, but He became the foundation stone for the church. At His second advent, He will smite the kingdoms of the world and establish His glorious kingdom.
robe of righteousness" (Isa. 61:10 nkjv; see Luke 15:22). The climax of the cleansing (forgiveness) and robing (righteous in Christ, 2 Cor. 5:21) was the placing of the special turban on Joshua's head; for the golden plate at the front of the turban was inscribed: HOLINESS TO THE LORD (Ex. 28:36–38; 39:30–31). It was this that made him, the people, and their gifts acceptable to the Lord. We have no righteousness of our own, but we come in the righteousness and merits of Jesus Christ, our Savior (1 Peter 2:5).
The seven "eyes" on the stone probably speak of our Lord's omniscience (Zech. 4:10 niv; Rev. 5:6). The NIV margin translates it "seven facets," making this stone a precious and beautiful jewel because of the way it is engraved (cut). But the text refers to an inscription that God engraved on the stone, not a jewel, and it doesn't tell us what the inscription says. Some of the church fathers interpreted this engraving to mean the glorified wounds on Christ's body, but we have no indication from the text that this interpretation is warranted.
The assurance (vv. 6–7). The Lord Jesus Christ gave a charge to Joshua, because cleansing and restoration always involve responsibility. Joshua and his fellow priests weren't put on probation; they were cleansed and restored to service. But the continuation of their service depended on their faithfulness to the Lord and His Word. It's a privilege to serve the Lord, and we must never take it for granted.
"I will give you a place among these standing here" (v. 6 niv) indicates that Joshua's service was in cooperation with the angels of God! (See v. 4, "those who stood before him.") The angels are God's servants, obeying His every command without fail, and God's earthly servants are united with them in accomplishing His will. "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10 nkjv). God's invisible messengers play a vital part in His plans both for Israel (Dan. 10:10–21; Matt. 24:31) and the church (Heb. 1:13–14).
The key message of this difficult verse is the removal of Israel's sins in one day. This miracle of grace is described in Zechariah 5 and 12:10—13:1, and will be considered in later chapters. At the Second Advent, when Israel beholds the One whom they pierced (12:10), they will repent and be cleansed. "Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment?" (Isa. 66:8 niv).
When that happens, God will fulfill the promises of peace that He has made to Israel through the prophets. Resting under one's vine and fig tree (Zech. 3:10) is an image of peace and security (1 Kings 4:25; 2 Kings 18:31; Mic. 4:4), something that Israel has always longed for but has never found.
The announcement (vv. 8–10). This remarkable announcement to Joshua and his fellow priests focuses on Jesus Christ and presents three different images of the coming Messiah: the Priest, the Branch, and the Stone. Zechariah will say more about the priest in 6:9–15, so we'll save our detailed study for that passage. In their priestly ministry, Joshua and his associates were "symbolic of things to come" (3:8 niv).
Knowing that God would forgive and cleanse His people and restore the ministry of His priests must have encouraged Joshua greatly. In the next vision, God will encourage His servant Zerubbabel.
"The Branch" is an image of Messiah frequently found in the prophets (Isa. 11:1–2). Here Messiah is called "my servant the Branch." He is also "the Branch of the Lord" (4:2), "the Branch of righteousness" raised up for David (Jer. 23:5; 33:15), and "the man whose name is the Branch" (Zech. 6:12–13). These four titles parallel four aspects of the person of Christ as seen in the four gospels:
God Empowers His People for Service (4:1–14) The young prophet had seen four wonderful visions, and the experience had exhausted him. He fell asleep and had to be awakened by the "interpreting angel" before God could reveal the fifth vision to him. Seeing divine visions and understanding their meanings made Daniel very weary and like a man who was dumb and without strength (Dan. 10:8, 15–19). The flippant, jovial manner in which some of God's people speak of prophetic matters today makes us wonder if they have really seen what the Word of God communicates about the future.
5. The olive trees: God empowers His people— 4:1–14
Branch of righteousness for David— Matthew, Gospel of the King My servant the Branch—Mark, Gospel of the
Servant
The man whose name is the Branch— Luke, Gospel of the Son of Man The Branch of the Lord—John, Gospel of the Son
The vision (vv. 1–3, 11–14). In the holy place of the tabernacle, in front of the veil and to the left of the altar of incense, stood a golden candlestick with seven branches (Ex. 25:31–40).4 At the end of each branch was a golden lamp, and it was the high priest's duty each morning and evening to trim the wicks and provide the oil needed to keep the lamp burning (Lev.
of God
"The stone" is another image of Messiah found often in Scripture, revealing several aspects of His ministry. Messiah is the cornerstone (Ps. 118:22–23; Matt.
Zechariah 4
24:3). This candlestick provided light in the holy place so the priests could see to burn the incense on the golden altar each morning and evening (Ex. 30:7–8).
of God: we can trust our own strength and wisdom; we can borrow the resources of the world; or we can depend on the power of God. The first two approaches may appear to succeed, but they'll fail in the end. Only work done through the power of the Spirit will glorify God and endure the fires of His judgment (1 Cor. 3:12–15). With their limited resources, completing the temple must have looked to those Jews as impossible as moving a mountain, but God told Zerubbabel that he would, by God's power, level the mountain and make it a plain! Jesus told His disciples that exercising faith like a mustard seed (small but alive) could move mountains (Matt. 17:20; 21:21).
But the candlestick that Zechariah saw was totally unlike the one Moses had put into the tabernacle. Along with the seven branches and lamps, this candlestick had a bowl at the top into which olive oil dripped from two olive trees (Zech. 4:3), which symbolized Joshua and Zerubbabel (v. 14). The candlestick also had seven pipes going from the bowl to each lamp, making a total of forty-nine pipes. No priest had to provide the oil because it was always coming from the trees. Seven pipes to each lamp assured an ample supply of fuel to keep the lights burning.
The lampstand in the tabernacle was symbolic of Messiah, the Light of the World (John 8:12), who one day would come and give the "light of life" to all who would trust Him. The light from the golden lampstand would shine on the table in the holy place (Ex. 26:35) and reveal the loaves of bread, Christ the Bread of Life (Ex. 25:30; John 6:33, 35, 48, 50–51).
What "mountains" was Zerubbabel facing? Discouragement among the people, opposition from the enemies around them, poor crops, an unstable economy, people not obeying God's law—problems not too different from those the people of God have faced throughout the centuries. The answer to these problems is prayer that releases the Holy Spirit's power. When the early Christians faced problems, they turned to God in prayer, and He answered by giving them a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:23–31).
The tabernacle candlestick also spoke of the nation of Israel, the nation God had chosen to be a light in a spiritually dark world (Isa. 60:1–3; 62:1). (The sevenbranched candlestick, the menorah, is the official symbol of the modern State of Israel.) The light was burning very low when the remnant returned to the land to rebuild the temple, and Zerubbabel wasn't sure there was enough power to keep the work going.
"We say we depend on the Holy Spirit," wrote Vance Havner, "but actually we are so wired up with our own devices that if the fire does not fall from heaven, we can turn on a switch and produce false fire of our own. If there is no sound of a rushing mighty wind, we have the furnace all set to blow hot air instead. God save us from a synthetic Pentecost!"5
Believers today must keep in mind that the church is a light in a dark world, and we must depend on the Holy Spirit to enable us to bear witness (Matt. 5:14–16; Phil. 2:14–16). In Revelation 1—3, local churches are symbolized by individual lampstands, and the purpose of a lampstand is to give light. If we don't do what Christ commands us to do, He may take away the lampstand (2:5).
God finishes His work (vv. 7b–10). God assured Zerubbabel that he would complete the rebuilding of the temple and the people would rejoice at what God had done through them. Zerubbabel would "bring out the capstone [the last stone to be placed in the building] with shouts of 'God bless it! God bless it!'" (v. 7b niv). Another possible translation is "Beauty! Perfection!" That wasn't what some of the people were saying when the foundation of the temple was laid (Ezra 3:10–13) and while the temple was under construction (Hag. 2:3).
God provides the power (vv. 4–7a). When Solomon built the temple that the Babylonians destroyed, he had almost unlimited resources at his disposal. His father, David, had fought many battles and collected spoil to be used in building the temple (1 Chron. 26:20, 27–28), but the remnant didn't have an army. Solomon was monarch of a powerful kingdom that ruled over many Gentile nations and took tribute from them, but the Jews in Zechariah's day had no such authority.
God gave a clear promise that Zerubbabel would complete the temple (Zech.4:9), which reminds us of God's promise in Philippians 1:6: "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (nkjv). It also echoes David's words to his son Solomon: "Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God—my God—will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord" (1 Chron. 28:20 nkjv). That was the promise that sustained me during my first building program in my first pastorate, and I can assure you that it works!
That's why God said to them through His prophet, "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit" (Zech. 4:6). The word might refers to military might, what people can do together, but the remnant had no army. "Power" refers to the strength of the individual, but Zerubbabel's strength was no doubt waning. "Don't be discouraged!" was the prophet's message. "The Spirit of God will enable us to do what an army could never do!" Had they forgotten what Haggai said to them? "My Spirit remains among you. Do not fear" (Hag. 2:5 niv).
To some of the Jews, the project was but a "small thing" (Zech. 4:10) in comparison to Solomon's grand temple, but we must look at God's work through His
There are three ways we can attempt to do the work
Zechariah 4—5 eyes and not the eyes of the people of the world. Great oaks grow out of small acorns and great harvests from small seeds. When Messiah came to earth, He was but "a shoot … from the stump of Jesse" (Isa. 11:1 niv) and was "despised and rejected of men" (Isa. 53:3). The church began with 120 people and today ministers around the world.
When our Lord came to earth, the flame of Jewish faith was flickering. 3 Merrill F. Unger, Commentary on Zechariah (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1963), 59. 4 In Solomon's temple, the one large candlestick was replaced with ten smaller ones (1 Kings 7:49; 1 Chron. 28:15). 5 Vance Havner, The Vance Havner Quote Book, compiled by Dennis J. Hester (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1986), 111.
Bible history is the record of God using small things. When God wanted to set the plan of salvation in motion, He started with a little baby named Isaac (Gen. 21). When He wanted to overthrow Egypt and set His people free, He used a baby's tears (Ex. 2:1–10). He used a shepherd boy and a sling to defeat a giant (1 Sam. 17) and a little lad's lunch to feed a multitude (John 6). He delivered the apostle Paul from death by using a basket and a rope (Acts 9:23–25). Never despise the day of small things, for God is glorified in small things and uses them to accomplish great things.
CHAPTER THREE Zechariah 5—6 GOD AND THE NATIONS T he previous vision ended with the interpreting angel calling Israel's God "the Lord of the whole earth" (4:14), a title that is also used in Psalm 95:7 and Isaiah 54:5. Zechariah's purpose in writing is to tell us about the future of the Jews and Jerusalem, but the future of the whole world is involved in the future of the Jews, for God called Israel to bring blessing or cursing to all the nations of the earth (Gen. 12:1–3).
God and His servants must work together to accomplish His purposes. "For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13 nkjv). God supplies His servants with the Spirit, and the people are encouraged as they see Zerubbabel on the job with the plumb line in his hand, making sure the walls are straight. While Zerubbabel is working, the eyes of the Lord are watching over His people and monitoring the nations of the earth. (The phrase "those seven" in Zech. 4:10 refers back to 3:9, the eyes of the Lord, meaning His omniscience.)
The prophet describes three key events that give evidence that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is indeed "the Lord of the whole earth."
The Cleansing of the Land (5:1–11) The vision of the flying scroll and the vision of the ephah focus primarily on the land of Israel.1 In both of them, God performs a cleansing operation and deals with the sins of the nation.
The vision climaxes (4:14) with God calling Zerubbabel and Joshua "the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth." What a noble title for His servants! As the two olive trees, Joshua and Zerubbabel received the empowering Spirit of God and kept the light of Israel's work and witness burning. Oil is a general symbol for the Holy Spirit in Scripture. Prophets, priests, and kings were anointed with oil, and the words Messiah and Christ mean "anointed one." The holy anointing oil was not to be prepared by anybody but the priests or be used for any other purpose than for anointing God's servants (Ex. 30:22–33). "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me" (Isa. 61:1 nkjv; Luke 4:18–19).
God removes lawlessness (vv. 1–4). The prophet saw a large open scroll, fifteen feet by thirty feet, floating through the air, with writing on both sides. On one side he read the third commandment against taking God's name in vain (Ex. 20:7), and on the other side he read the eighth commandment against stealing (v. 15).
This scroll represented the law of God that brings a curse on all who disobey it, and that includes all of us (Deut. 27:26; Gal. 3:10–12); because nobody can fully obey God's law. For that matter, the law was never given to save people (Gal. 2:16, 21; 3:21) but to reveal that people need to be saved; "for by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom. 3:20).
6. The flying scroll: evil purged from the land— 5:1–4
If our God is "Lord of all the earth," what have we to fear? If He promises us the power of His Spirit, why should we falter and fail? Let's remember Joshua and Zerubbabel, men who are encouragements to all who seek to serve the Lord in any way.
Out of Ten Commandments, why did the Lord select the two that forbid stealing and swearing falsely? Were these sins especially prevalent among the Jewish remnant at that time? It may be that many of the Jewish people were not faithful in their giving to the Lord, robbing Him of tithes and offerings and then lying about it. In their business dealings, they may have cheated one another. The prophet Haggai rebuked them for putting their own interests ahead of the Lord's work (Hag. 1:1–11), and certainly robbing God was a grievous sin among the Jews a century later (Mal. 3:7–15). But there is another reason. The third command-
There are no "small places" or "small ministries," and there are no "big preachers." But we do have a great God who can empower and bless servants who are dedicated to Him. He can cleanse us and He can empower us, so let's trust Him and do His work!
Notes
1 James M. Kouzes and Berry Z. Posner, The Leadership Challenge (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1987), xvi. 2 It sank even lower after the temple was completed. Read the prayer of Ezra (Ezra 9) and the book of Malachi for proof.
Zechariah 5 ent of lead would weigh from seventy-five to one hundred pounds.
ment is the central commandment on the first tablet of the law, and the eighth commandment is the central commandment on the second tablet of the law, so these two commandments represent the whole law. "But whoever shall keep the whole law, yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 2:10).
The prophet then saw two other women, but they had wings! With the help of the wind, they lifted up the basket and its contents, plus the heavy lead cover, and carried it in the air to Babylon. Although angels are actually sexless (Matt. 22:30), in Scripture they are generally depicted as male, so these two women were special agents of the Lord created just for this particular task. They took the ephah and the woman to Shinar (Babylon, Dan. 1:2) and put the ephah on a base in a special house.
If I'm suspended over a chasm by a chain of ten links, how many links have to break before I fall? If while driving down the highway, I'm pulled over by a policeman because I'm speeding, does it make any difference to him that I haven't broken the income tax laws or stolen anything from my neighbors? Obedience to one law doesn't negate disobedience to another law. To break one is to become a lawless person.
In order to understand this vision, we must ask ourselves, "What did the Jews bring to their land from Babylon when they returned after their captivity?" It wasn't idolatry, for their years of exile cured them of that sin. The answer is—commercialism. The Jews were people of the land when they went to Babylon, but many of the Jews born in Babylon became people of the city and successful merchants. So it was the spirit of competitive commercialism that was represented by the woman in the ephah, for both the ephah and the talent are measures of commodities.
God announced that the scroll of His law would visit the individual homes in the land and judge those who were deliberately disobeying God. Whether "cut off" means killed or expelled from the covenant community isn't made clear. Like a thief or a plague, the curse would enter the houses unannounced and bring destruction.
The Jewish remnant was certainly familiar with the "blessings and curses" of the covenant recorded by Moses. They also knew that after Joshua had brought the people into the Promised Land, they gathered at Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim and read the "blessings and curses" and promised to obey the Lord (Josh. 8:30–35). Lawlessness abounds today and the only commandment many people worry about is "Thou shalt not get caught!" Ethics is something studied in the classroom but not seriously practiced in the marketplace, and the Ten Commandments are only dusty artifacts in the museum of morality. No wonder Hosea wrote, "They make many promises, take false oaths and make agreements; therefore lawsuits spring up like poisonous weeds in a plowed field" (10:4 niv). People break God's law and then try to use man's law to protect themselves, and often they win!
The ancient city of Babylon is first mentioned in Genesis 10:10 as a part of Nimrod's empire. Nimrod is called "a mighty one in the earth" and "a mighty hunter" (Gen. 10:8–9), which the NIV translates "a mighty warrior … a mighty hunter." This is the picture of a conquering despot, forging himself a kingdom at any cost and defying the Lord in the process. The famous Tower of Babel was built in Shinar as an attempt to exalt man and dethrone God (11:1–19).
7. The ephah: evil taken to Babylon—5:5–11
Throughout Scripture, Babylon symbolizes the world's enmity against God, culminating in the vivid description in Revelation 17—18. (See also the parallel in Jer. 50—51.) The contrast in the book of Revelation is between the Bride (the heavenly city) and the harlot (the earthly city of Babylon). When you read Revelation 18, you see that the emphasis is on the commercial success and the vast wealth of Babylon, the very "virus" that some of the Jews had caught during the Babylonian exile.
Ultimately, God will judge all sinners who have rebelled against His law (Jude 14–15); but He will start with Israel, the nation that gave us God's law. It's a divine principle that judgment begins with God's people (1 Peter 4:17; Ezek. 9:6). This judgment will occur before our Lord establishes His kingdom on earth, and the "holy land" will truly become holy (Zech. 2:12). God will "remove the iniquity of the land in one day" (v. 9).
This doesn't imply that the people of Israel today are all guilty of bad business practices, or that it's wrong for anybody to earn money by engaging in business. Both believers and unbelievers, Jews or Gentiles, can be manufacturers and merchants and faithfully do their work. But if the worldly commercial spirit infects the child of God, it will result in twisted values, confused priorities, and a craving for wealth and position that grieves the Lord (1 Tim. 6). The best antidote is Matthew 6:33.
God removes wickedness (5:6–11). Not only will individual sins and sinners be judged, but wickedness itself will be removed from the land. In this vision, wickedness is personified by a woman, because the Hebrew word for "wickedness" is feminine. The ephah was a common measure in Israel, but no ephah would be large enough to house a person, so, like the huge scroll, this was a special ephah. The woman attempted to get out of the ephah, so a heavy lead cover was put on the ephah to keep her in. A tal-
The two women with storklike wings placed the ephah on a base in a special house in Babylon, which suggests that "commercialism" was worshipped as one of the Babylonian gods. Unfortunately, money has become a god around the world and, like a god, money is trusted by people to give them help, to solve their problems, to provide happiness, and to empower them