Chapter 1

(Verses 1 and 6) In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, The Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers. Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto Me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto Me, saith the LORD. Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? But My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? And they returned, and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath He dealt with us.

In this, the prophet tells us exactly who he is, and when this prophecy was given to him, as well as by Whom it was given. The first item set forth is a declaration that the LORD of hosts has been greatly displeased with the “fathers,” or predecessors, of those to whom the prophet is to speak. Because of this, he is commanded to warn them to not follow in the steps of their forefathers. Because those fathers did not obey the commandments of the LORD, when He commanded them to turn from their evil ways and deeds. So, He sets forth their fathers as an example of what they can expect if they do not give heed to His warning. “Your fathers, where are they?” This question very graphically reminds them that many of their fathers were destroyed by their enemies, and the rest were taken captive. Indeed they themselves are in captivity as the result of the disobedience of their fathers. So when they consider where their fathers are, or even where they themselves are, there can be no misunderstanding of the situation. Also those prophets, who prophesied to their fathers, are now gone. “Do they live forever?” Surely, they do not. But the words and statutes, which the LORD commanded His servants, the prophets, did take hold of those fathers. He does not mean that the fathers obeyed those words and statutes, but that the chastisement He had commanded the prophets to declare against them actually came upon them exactly as proclaimed. And they were made to confess that the LORD did unto them just as He had told them He would. This surely should be a lesson to us today. No man, and no nation, can continue in evil without being, at God’s appointed time, brought to face the consequences of his actions.

(Verses 7 through 11) Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white. Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be. And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth. And they answered the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.

As Zechariah tells us, about three months after the word of the LORD first came to him he was given a vision by that same word of the LORD. Inasmuch as the word of the LORD can speak in many ways, we should not think it strange that Zechariah expresses it as he does. “Came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, _ _ _ saying, I saw by night _ _ _.” Actually, Zechariah was given a vision in the night by the word of the LORD. In this vision, he saw the things of which he makes mention. “Behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the Myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white.” Perhaps, since no mention is made of where this man may have been riding, it might be a little clearer to us, according to our modern manner of speaking, to say, “Behold a man sitting upon a red horse, and he (the horse) stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom.” Since there is no movement of the horse upon which the man was mounted, it seems that he is ready to go, but is awaiting the signal to start. Evidently the terrain is hilly, or, at least, rolling, and in the valley (“bottom”) there is a grove of myrtle trees. Among these trees is where the man is sitting upon his horse. Behind him there also are other horses of various colors, red, speckled, and white. Zechariah’s curiosity is sufficiently aroused by this scene that he questions, “O my lord, what are these?” Since the man on the horse is the only one Zechariah has previously mentioned, it is not completely clear whether “the angel that talked with me” is that man, or another. But what is made clear in verse 11is that the man among the myrtle trees is an angel of the LORD. At any rate, the angel that talked with Zechariah promised to show him, or explain to him, what these things are, or what they represent. At this point the man among the myrtle trees gave Zechariah his answer. “These (these horses) are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.” And he did not have to wait long for the purpose for which they were so commissioned. The horses themselves gave the answer. “We have walked to and fro through the earth, and behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.” So apparently these horses represent the LORD’S evaluation of the earth, as He looks over it. He finds it sitting still, and doing nothing. This sometimes might be considered a good thing, as we might think the whole earth to be at peace. However, as we shall see a little later, in this case it may not be a situation approved by the LORD. Let us consider an item that although it may be considered minor, still should be mentioned. Almost invariably, when we hear the word, “angel,” a picture comes to our mind of one dressed in pure white, and having wings with which to fly swiftly through the heavens. “The angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees,” is presented to us as “a man riding upon a red horse.” If we go back to the angels who delivered Lot from Sodom , we find them presented as men, with no mention of wings, or white garments. When the angel of the LORD appeared to the wife of Manoah, (Judges 13,) she only saw him as “a man of God.” So it is apparent that we should remember that the message of an angel, not his appearance, is important. In fact the word, “angel,” only means a messenger.

(Verses 12 through 17) Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt Thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which Thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years? And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words. So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they have helped forward the affliction. Therefore thus saith the LORD, I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: My house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth on Jerusalem . Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion , and shall yet choose Jerusalem .

As Zechariah continues to behold this vision, the angel of the LORD, whether the one mounted upon the red horse, or another, we do not know, asked the LORD a question. Although it was asked by the angel, and not by Zechariah, it was, no doubt, of great interest to Zechariah. “How long wilt Thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah , against which Thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?” No doubt, this was asked in this manner to show that the time had been fulfilled that the LORD had purposed that the captivity of Judah should encompass. So the LORD answered the angel with kind and comforting words. Notice that this exchange has been between the angel and the LORD, not Zechariah and the LORD. Now the angel gives to Zechariah a command, which, of course is from the LORD. Zechariah is to “Cry,” or loudly proclaim, a message that concerns both the heathen and Jerusalem , and also the cities of Judah . The first part of the message is concerning Jerusalem and Zion . He is jealous for them with a great jealousy. Notice that He is “jealous for them,” not “jealous of them.” Since they are His peculiar treasure chosen out of all the world, He will not suffer anyone to abuse them without paying the penalty. And the fact that “all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest,” while Jerusalem and Zion are in captivity is very sorely displeasing to Him. So He declares of the heathen that are at ease, that, they have helped forward the affliction. That is, their failure to comfort Jerusalem and Zion has made His displeasure much greater. For this reason He declares that He has “returned to Jerusalem with mercies.” Not only shall His house be built in it, but also “the line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem .” That is, the city itself shall be rebuilt. Not only so, but “My cities,” the cities of Judah , shall because of their prosperity spread abroad. “And the LORD shall yet comfort Zion , and shall yet choose Jerusalem .” Wherever we look in God’s prophecies concerning the final outcome of the matter we find that He has engaged Himself to rebuild, restore, and glorify Jerusalem . Many today try to tell us that the LORD has forever cast away Jerusalem and Zion for their sins, and has replaced them with the gospel church. Therefore, according to this doctrine, all promises made to Israel or Jerusalem are given to “the gospel church.” He nowhere tells us that such is the case. And, if He did do such, would not the argument set forth by Moses in Exodus 32:11-13 be just as true in this case as when God threatened to destroy all of Israel , and make of Moses a great nation to replace them? The Apostle Paul tells us in the third chapter of the Ephesian letter that the coming of the Christ into the world was not a new thing at all, but only the fulfilling of the eternal purpose of God. So, without controversy, God knew about the gospel church long before He made His promises to Jerusalem and Zion .

(Verses 18 through 21) Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns. And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And He answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah , Israel , and Jerusalem . And the LORD shewed me four carpenters. Then said I, What come these to do? And He spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah , so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.

After the comforting message concerning Zion and Jerusalem was given him, Zechariah lifted up his eyes, and saw four horns. As his curiosity was again excited, he asked what they were, that is, what they represented. The answer he received was that they are the horns, or powers, that have scattered Judah , Israel , and Jerusalem . That is, they represent the heathen, or Gentile, nations that have brought upon Judah , Israel , and Jerusalem , all the devastation they have suffered, and brought them into captivity, thus scattering them. Indeed, some of them were so badly scattered that even today they are called by some, “the lost tribes of Israel .” Then he was shown four carpenters. When he asked what these had come to do, he was told that their work is to “fray and cast out these horns of the Gentiles that have lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it. Notice that, although Judah , Israel , and Jerusalem , are all scattered, only the land of Judah is mentioned in the declaration to “fray and cast out” the powers of those who have scattered it. Of course, “the land of Judah ” includes Jerusalem , since Jerusalem is in the land of Judah .

(Verses 1 through 5) I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand. Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem , to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof. And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him, and said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein: for I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.

After the LORD had explained what the previous scenes represented, Zechariah took another look around. As he did so, he saw a man with a measuring line in his hand. In order to keep before us the significance of this, we must remember that this was at Jerusalem , where the Jews had been sent to rebuild the temple of God , and the city of Jerusalem . The fact that this man had a measuring line in his hand indicated that he was going to measure something, either for the purpose of laying out work to be done, or checking work that had been done. So Zechariah asked him where he was going to do that work. His answer was that he was going “to measure Jerusalem , to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.” This seems a very simple answer. But from what follows, it appears that this measuring was for the purpose of showing that too little work had been done in the rebuilding; and that even if the work had been completed, the city would still be too small. For as this angel went forth, another met him with a message for Zechariah. The fact that this other angel told the first one to run to give the message to “this young man” shows that there is some urgency about it. The message is, “ Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein.” Although cities of that day were customarily built with walls around them for protection, and, indeed, the wall was to be rebuilt around Jerusalem , so many people, and so many cattle would be there the walled portion could not contain them. And the overflow would make the city appear as a town without walls. Further, there is a promise given that should be of great encouragement to Zechariah, and to the Jews who are truly interested in the welfare of Jerusalem . “For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.” Since the LORD will be a wall of fire round about her, no enemy can even approach her. So whether or not she had manmade walls, she will be in perfect safety. Not only so, but she will have a glory that is even above that of the temple of God . God Himself will be the glory within her. This promise looks even beyond the return of Jerusalem from the Babylonian captivity, to the final re-gathering of Israel . Then, indeed, the LORD shall be a wall of fire round about her, and the glory within her.

(Verses 6 through 9) Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD. Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon . For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath He sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of His eye. For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me.

Verses 6 and 7 seem very clear. The LORD is calling forth His people who have been in captivity. He tells them to come forth from the land of the north. Sometimes the land of Babylon is spoken of as the north, and sometimes as the east. Either designation may be deemed proper, since it is actually northeast of Jerusalem . In verse 7 he specifically says, “O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon .” Verses 8 and 9 may be a little more difficult to understand. Perhaps a different translation from the one we commonly use, but one that is recognized by many, would somewhat clarify the matter. “For these are the words of the LORD of hosts, spoken when He sent me on a glorious mission to the nations that have plundered you, for whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye: I raise My hand against them; they shall be plunder for their own slaves. So you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me.” (The New English Bible) This seems to give the true sense of the text. Jerusalem , Judah , and Israel were chosen of God as His peculiar nation. He promised that He will always preserve them. (Jeremiah 31:35 through 37) “Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; the LORD of hosts is His name: If those ordinances depart from before Me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me forever. Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth be searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.” So there can be no doubt that the LORD, even today, holds Israel , Judah , and Jerusalem , very dear, and will at His appointed time restore them to a greater glory than they have ever known.

(Verses 10 through 13) Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion : for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD. And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be My people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee. And the LORD shall inherit Judah His portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again. Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for He is raised up out of His holy habitation.

There seems to be a turning in this from the theme of the return from the Babylonian captivity to that of the coming of the Christ, and including, as many prophecies do, a mingling of His work in His first coming with that of His second. The first part of this message is a call to rejoicing for the “daughter of Zion .” The reason for that rejoicing is that the LORD, in this case, the Christ, is coming. Not only will He come; but He will also “dwell in the midst of thee.” Certainly, while Jesus was here in His earthly ministry, He did spend some time in Jerusalem and there He was crucified. But never, in that thirty-three plus years, was Jerusalem considered His home. Some will immediately say, “But He dwells in the hearts of believers,” or “He dwells in the gospel church.” No doubt there is some truth in this. But it would hardly call for the rejoicing of a people, who have been in captivity for seventy years, and are being called upon to rejoice because of the ending of that captivity. But to know that the LORD, even the Christ, is going to dwell with them in their beloved Jerusalem would. Although this promise might not be for fulfillment to them personally, but to their descendants, it still meant the same to them. It meant that Jerusalem was going to continue, and would be very glorious. Verse 11 was partially fulfilled in the work of the Christ, in His first advent, inasmuch as the atonement He made was for “all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” Thus many nations were joined to the LORD, and are His people. Yet there remains a part of that that is not fulfilled, in that neither Jerusalem , Judah , nor Israel , knows “that the LORD of hosts hath sent Me unto thee.” That will take place only when Jesus descends upon the Mount of Olives, and delivers Jerusalem from all her enemies. When He does that, He shall, indeed, “inherit Judah His portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.” Now, let all flesh be silent before the LORD. That is, let no one attempt to change His word to make it mean something different from what it says. And let none try to contend against Him, or argue that He cannot, or will not, do exactly what He has declared. “For He is raised up out of His holy habitation.” He is not asleep, but is well aware of everything that is going on.

(Verses 1 and 2) And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD That hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?

Joshua was a very common name among the Jews. It is a variant of the name Yeshua, as also is Jesus. Actually, “Jesus” is the Greek translation of Yeshua.  All three of them have the same meaning, “the help of the LORD,” although “Jesus” is usually, by free translation, called “Savior.” In this instance, the one named Joshua was the high priest. Sometimes “the angel of the LORD,” is taken to actually mean “the Presence of the LORD.” Whether, or not, it does in this case, may not be quite clear, though some would consider verse 2 as showing that it does. The picture we have before us is that of the high priest, Joshua, standing before the angel of the LORD, probably, to carry out the function of his priestly office. At the same time Satan was standing at Joshua’s right hand to resist him, or hinder him in his service. Or, it may even be possible that Satan was attempting to resist the angel of the LORD, which seems to fit even better with what follows. At this time the LORD spoke to Satan, and said “The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan: even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee.” This may be the incident to which Jude refers in verse 9 of His epistle. “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke thee.’” Since “the body of Moses” was not an uncommon manner of speaking of the law, just as it was not uncommon to say, “what does Moses say,” when meaning “What does the law say,” Jude’s reference was, likely, concerning the law, and not the physical body of Moses. And that might be exactly what the contention in the present text was about. However, the LORD’S answer was, “The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee.” When the LORD rebukes him, there is nothing more that Satan can do. So we find him no more in this chapter. The expression, “Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?” may be a part of the LORD’S answer to Satan. But it seems more in keeping with the situation to consider it as Zechariah’s question after hearing the LORD’S rebuke to Satan. Had Satan been permitted to continue, there is no way of knowing what a firestorm of trouble he might have caused. But the same LORD, Who has chosen Jerusalem , has snatched her, as a brand, out of the fire.

(Verses 3 through 5) Now Joshua was clothed in filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the Angel of the LORD stood by.

Since the whole concept of any priest, especially the high priest, is that he be the representative of the people before God, as the writer of Hebrews says. “For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God,” (Heb. 5:1) this scene shows the dealing of God with His people. As Joshua is first seen, he is clothed in filthy garments, showing that Isaiah’s declaration of our condition is certainly true. (Isaiah 64:6) “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade like a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” Thus was Joshua as he stood before the angel of the LORD. This Angel must be Michael the archangel, since this angel speaks as the power of God, and “Michael” means “as God.” Some even declare that “angel of the LORD,” in verse 1, literally means “the Presence of the LORD;” and that here it really is the LORD Who speaks. Be that as it may, the message is by the authority of God, even if spoken by only an angel. Evidently, although they have not previously been mentioned, more were present than Zechariah, the angel, and Joshua. For the angel spoke to “those that stood before him.” He commanded them to take away the filthy garments in which Joshua was dressed. As this was done, he further said, “Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.” This seems to establish that it is the LORD, Who is speaking, just as many maintain that it is. And this is exactly the manner in which He deals with us even today. Notice that there is nothing conditional about either the removal of Joshua’s filthy garments, or his being dressed in a change of raiment. So it is with us. (Ephesians 2:4-5) “But God, Who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved).” Apparently, when Joshua was thus attired, he was still bareheaded. So Zechariah asked that he have a “fair,” or beautiful, mitre upon his head, and this was provided. The mitre is the headpiece that is part of the high priest’s attire, when fully dressed for his official duties. So, at this point, he was fully dressed for his work. This seems to harmonize beautifully with the Apostle Paul’s description of the “whole armor of God,” as he sets it forth in the Ephesian letter, chapter six. After this was all done, the angel of the LORD stood by.

(Verses 6 through 10) And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, If thou wilt walk in My ways, and if thou wilt keep My charge, then thou shalt also judge My house, and shalt keep My courts, and I will give thee places to walk among those that stand by. Hear now, Joshua the high priest, thou and all thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth My servant the BRANCH. For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree.

Today we consider “protest” to mean “raise objection to.” But at the time of the KJV translation, it could simply mean “declare.” And that is its usage here. The angel of the LORD declared a message to Joshua. And, in that message, the LORD promised Joshua that if he would faithfully discharge his duties, He would make him a judge in His house, and a keeper of His courts. In addition to this, He would give him “places to walk,” or a permanent position among those, who stand by. That is, among His people. This concerns Judah and Jerusalem when they are brought back from the Babylonian captivity. In verses 8 and 9, a prophecy is given of the coming of the Christ, or, as He is here called, “My Servant the BRANCH.” He introduces this by first saying that Joshua and his associates, who sit before him, are men wondered at. That is, the fact that they are leading a nation that has been in captivity, but is now set free, and is flourishing, sets them apart to be admired by all. But they are to “hear now,” or listen carefully to this, because it is only a sign of something even greater. “Behold, I will bring forth My Servant the BRANCH.” To further identify this Servant and His work, He says, “For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.” This Servant is none other than Christ Jesus our Lord. He is many times spoken of as a stone, in both the Old and New Testaments. Here He is the stone that the Lord has laid before Joshua. That is, He has presented Him to Joshua. And upon this stone are seven eyes. No doubt, these seven eyes are the same as the “seven spirits which are before His throne,” as John says, in Revelation 1:4, and show that He sees all things, and therefore knows all things, just as does the LORD of hosts. And upon Him the LORD of hosts will engrave the writing, thus signifying that it cannot be changed, but must remain forever. That writing is: “I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.” Some may think this refers to the work of our Lord Jesus in paying the redemption price for us, and perhaps, it does. But it also refers to the day when He shall return from glory, stand on the mount of Olives, fight for Jerusalem , and overcome all her enemies. At the same time He “will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.” The whole nation of Israel shall be converted in one day. For the blindness shall be removed from their eyes, and they shall recognize Him as their Savior and Lord.. What a day of joy that will be. For “In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree.”

(Verses 1 through 3) And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, and said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: and two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the other side thereof.

Apparently Zechariah had fallen asleep. So the angel of the LORD came again, and woke him up. He also asked him a question, “What  seest thou?” So Zechariah looked. And what he saw was a golden candlestick, or lampstand, like the one Moses was commanded to make for the Holy of holies in the tabernacle. See Exodus 25:31-39. Some commentators have held, and, perhaps, rightly so, that this golden candlestick represents God’s witness in the world, which surely would be the written, and spoken, word of God. Since oil is almost universally accepted as the representative of the Spirit, it may be thus considered here. And, as Revelation 19:10 tells us “The testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy,” the two olive trees that stand, the one on the right side, and the other on the left of this candlestick, must be representative of Him, the Christ. Yet, the fact that there are two of these trees may be indicative, not of His being two, but His being witnessed by two. It seems evident that, in Zechariah’s day, Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel were thus designated. Nevertheless, when we come to the last verse of this chapter we see that there is a continued witness that lasts beyond the time of these two. Even the present text seems to indicate a continued witness, inasmuch as the pouring of the oil directly from the two trees through the pipes into the lamp shows that there is a continual supply of the oil.

(Verses 4 through 7) So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord? Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these are? And I said, No, my lord. Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. Who art thou, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.

Zechariah had enough curiosity concerning this vision that he asked what these things were, that is, what they represented. The answer the angel gave may seem strange to some. For instead of telling Zechariah exactly what they represented, he demonstrated them as the witness of God, by declaring the word of God to Zerubbabel. Now there is no indication that Zerubbabel was even present, although He may have been. But the message to him was that the LORD had empowered him to do something. And the work he was to perform was not to be accomplished “by might, nor by power,” that is the power of man; but by the Spirit of God. No man could have accomplished this work by his own power. But by the power of the Spirit of the LORD, which He placed upon Zerubbabel, the work would be done, and none could stop it. He then addresses a great mountain, whether a mountain of earth, or one of difficulties, makes little difference to us, because that mountain would become a plain before Zerubbabel. The LORD had spoken, and so it would be. Therefore Zerubbabel would bring forth “the headstone thereof.” This might be taken to mean that, since we commonly refer to a “headstone” as the marker for a grave, this would indicate that all the difficulty posed by this mountain is laid to rest. Or it could, and possibly should, in view of the next two verses, be taken to mean that when the work Zerubbabel is to do is ready for the “headstone,” or “capstone,” he will bring it forth. When he does bring forth this “headstone,” there will be much shouting, ascribing the success of all the work to the grace of the LORD, Who enabled him to accomplish it.

(Verses 8 through 10) Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. For who hath despised the day of small things? For they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hands of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

So the LORD gave Zechariah a message concerning Zerubbabel, who was in charge of the rebuilding of the temple and Jerusalem . Not only had Zerubbabel laid the foundation of the building, but the LORD declared that he also should finish it. When this is accomplished, the people of Judah would know that the LORD is He, Who had sent Zechariah His prophet unto them. They could have no more excuse for doubting. Then He asks the question, “For who hath despised the day of small things?” Certainly, it looked like a very small thing when Zerubbabel began the work of the rebuilding. Not only were the Jews with him few in number, but they also had many enemies around them. And all these enemies tried to resist their efforts to rebuild. So far as the Jews were concerned, it was a day of small things. Nevertheless, the LORD had purposed that both the temple and Jerusalem should be rebuilt. And none could prevent that purpose from being fulfilled. Although some may have despised the day of small things, they would rejoice when they would see “the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven.” Notice is taken that the only mention of “seven” so far in this prophecy is in the description of the candlestick in verse 2, together with its lamps and the pipes that supply them. So “those seven” in this verse must refer to the seven lamps of the candlestick. And here they are identified as “the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.” Thus he indicates that the “all-seeing,” or all wise Lord of hosts is with Zerubbabel in all the work of rebuilding both the temple and Jerusalem . Just as with all His works, God has seen everything that can try to stop, or alter them. And since He also has all power, He has also made provision to take care of such, so that His work be not hindered.

(Verses 11 through 14) Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then said he, These be the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

Again we return to the vision shown in verses 2 and 3. First Zechariah asked what the two olive trees represent. And before the angel could answer, he asked what were the two branches of the trees, which were emptying the golden oil out of themselves through the golden pipes. Perhaps, just as he asked about the two trees, he realized, from the message the angel had delivered concerning the rebuilding of the temple and Jerusalem , that they were the source of the witness, and word, of the LORD; which can be none other than God Himself. Then he wants to know what are the branches through which the golden oil is poured continuously into the lamps. The answer the angel gave him may seem a little strange, inasmuch as we are subject to thinking of the Christ, when anyone mentions “the anointed of the LORD.” However, in this particular place we have a slightly different wording. Of course, the LORD has anointed many men, for many different works. He anointed Cyrus to set His people free from the Babylonian captivity. He anointed David king of Israel . And other witnesses could easily be cited whom He anointed for various works. The wording here, however, signifies that only two men were ever anointed as were these. He does not say “two of the anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth,” but “the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.” So, they are not two of many, but two alone, the only two. Most commentators try to tell us that these “two anointed ones” were the high priest Joshua and Zerubbabel. And this seems to have some merit, so far as their being witnesses of God at that time. Since he says, “that stand by the Lord of the whole earth,” it seems that his meaning is that this is their position, has been their position, and will continue to be their position. It is not a temporary employment. In the eleventh chapter of Revelation, two witnesses are mentioned, and are said to be the “two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.” Although there he speaks of two candlesticks, and here of only one, the whole picture is so nearly the same, that it seems very probable that they refer to the same ones. The early Christians believed, and taught, that these two witnesses in Revelation are Enoch and Elijah, since in the Revelation account, the Lord says, “I will give power unto My two witnesses,” seemingly signifying that they are already with Him, and only waiting for the time when He will empower them for their work. And since Enoch and Elijah are the only two, who ever left this world without passing through death, they seem prime candidates for being those witnesses, and for being the “two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”

(Verses 1 through 4) Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll. And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits. Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for everyone that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and everyone that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it. I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and the house of him that sweareth falsely by My name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.

As Zechariah turned and looked up he saw another sight, “a flying roll,” or scroll. Of course, all the books of that day were written on scrolls, instead of being printed and bound as are our books today. When the angel questioned him concerning what he saw, he said that he saw “a flying roll.” That is, this scroll was flying through the air. It was apparently rolled out so that it was ready for reading. For he could even determine the dimensions of it. It was twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide. But nothing is said about what may have been written on it, if anything. The angel explained to Zechariah that this scroll “is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for everyone that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and everyone that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it.” That is, it contains the declaration of the LORD as to the curse that shall be upon everyone of the whole earth that steals, or makes a false oath in the name of the LORD. There will be no hiding from this curse. For it will go “into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by My name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and with the stones thereof.” Those who are guilty of these offenses will have no way of escape. The destroyer is upon them, and shall there remain until his work is complete.

(Verses 5 through 8) Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth. And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth. And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah. And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.

When he says that the angel “went forth,” we are not to think that the angel left Zechariah. For he continued to talk with him. The thought is, either that the angel led him to a different position from which to look. Or that the expression, “went forth” has approximately the same meaning of an expression we commonly use. Many times, when we mean that someone continued speaking, we will say, “And he went on, and said - - -.” In this case, we do know that the angel continued talking with Zechariah. He told him to look up, and see what was going forth. Apparently Zechariah did this, but did not recognize what he saw. So he asked, “What is it?” The angel then told him, “This is an ephah that goeth forth.” The ephah is a large dry measure much used by the Jews. Since the angel, in verse 8, tells us that “This is wickedness,” not only the ephah, but it together with all things therein, symbolize this wickedness. And the use of such a large measure shows just how great are the sins of Judah and Israel . This is their appearance throughout the whole earth. Even today the whole world views the Jews as just this evil. And most people subscribe to the doctrine that for that God has forever cut them off, and will have no more mercy upon them. That was the basic tenet of the Nazis when they ordained their “Final Solution.” But according to this vision given to Zechariah, that shall change. So far as Judah and Jerusalem were concerned, the LORD was then preparing to deliver them from the Babylonian captivity. And so far as “all Israel ” is concerned, that awaits fulfillment. But it will be done, for the LORD has promised it. As the woman sits in the ephah, representing all the sins of Israel , and the angel places the lead weight upon the mouth of the ephah, the picture is that God covers the sins of Israel so that Israel shall again stand before Him. Their wickedness is thus blotted out of His sight.

(Verses 9 through 11) Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven. Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah? And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar : and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.

Chapter 6

(Verses 1 through 8) And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass. In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses; and in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses. Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord? And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of the whole earth. The black horses which are therein go into the north country; and the white go forth after them; and the grisled go forth toward the south country. And the bay went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and He said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth. Then He cried upon me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, these that go toward the north country have quieted My Spirit in the north country.

As Zechariah turned in another direction, and looked, he saw another vision. There were two mountains of brass. This may appear a little unusual. But universally, in scripture, brass signifies judgment. So we can, very reasonably, take these mountains to represent the judgment of God against the Gentile world, particularly as we consider the remainder of the vision. There appeared four horse drawn chariots, coming out from between these mountains. Some may try to make much of the various colors of the horses drawing these chariots. But the different colors seem only for the purpose of distinguishing one chariot from another. Since, in that day, a chariot was the greatest war machine available to man, these chariots seem to show that God is ready to do battle against the Gentiles of the world to set His people free from serving them. Zechariah was sufficiently concerned about the matter that he asked the angel, “What are these?” That is, “What do these represent?” The answer is, “These are the spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.” (There are some similarities between this vision and one seen by Black Elk, a Sioux Indian medicine man. He spoke of “the Spirit of the north, the Spirit of the south, the Spirit of the east, and the Spirit of the west.” Then he added, “And these Spirits are one Spirit.” Although Black Elk was considered by white men to be a pagan, he had, evidently, had some experience with the Lord. For man could not have taught him this truth.) The angel told Zechariah that two of these chariots, the one with the black horses and the one with the white horses, were to go into the north country, while the one with the grisled horses would go into the south country, and the one with the bay horses would walk to and fro through the earth. If one will examine a map of that area, he can readily see that the likelihood of trouble was greater in the area north of Judah than from any other direction, And the next most dangerous area was south. This would account for sending two chariots to the north country, and one to the south, while leaving only one to cover all other areas. Thus the LORD has signified that Judah and Jerusalem are under His full protection. Therefore no harm can come to them from any direction. Then the LORD, or the angel speaking for the LORD, declared that His Spirit had quieted the north country. He had so subdued it that there would be no trouble from that quarter. Thus the way is prepared for Judah to return from the Babylonian captivity with no hindrance. When we read Ezekiel’s prophecy of the great battle in the thirty-eighth and thirty-ninth chapters of his writing, and of the battle Zechariah also describes in chapter fourteen of his prophecy, this message seems also to apply to the situation at the end of that battle.

(Verses 9 through 13) And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, which are come from Babylon, and come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah; then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them on the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest; and speak unto him, saying, Behold the man whose name is the BRANCH; and He shall grow up out of His place, and He shall build the temple of the LORD: even He shall build the temple of the LORD; and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

Now the word of the LORD came to Zechariah. The message instructed him to do something that some have argued over even to the present time. He was to take three of the men, of the Jews who had come from Babylon , and take them with him as witnesses of what he was about to do. They were to go to the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, and there he was to make crowns of silver and gold, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, who was high priest. After thus crowning him, he was to give him a message from the LORD of hosts. The point of this, about which men have argued so much, is the putting the crowns upon the head of the high priest, inasmuch as the high priest was never the king in Israel. There was maintained a separation of church and state. What many seem to have overlooked is that this is not an attempt to make a king of the high priest Joshua, but is symbolic of something that was yet to come. The message from the LORD to Joshua completely clarifies that matter. “Behold the man whose name is the BRANCH; and He shall grow up out of His place, and He shall build the temple of the LORD: even He shall build the temple of the LORD; and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His throne: and He shall be a priest on His throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” Surely, one can see from this, that Joshua is being used only to represent One, Who was yet to come, the BRANCH, our Lord Christ Jesus. Not only here, but in other places in the scriptures, particularly in Isaiah’s writing, our Lord is called the BRANCH. And this name is given to no other. According to what those who know the Hebrew Language tell us, the Hebrew word, which is translated into English as “ Nazareth ,” means “Branch.” And Matthew has told us that the purpose of the Lord, in warning Joseph to turn aside, and dwell in Nazareth on his return from Egypt was that this prophecy might be fulfilled. Although it was not customary for the offices of king and high priest to be given to the same man, Our Lord Jesus is not only High Priest and King, but also Prophet and Savior. So surely, it was proper representation of Him that the crowns should be on the head of the high priest. While it is true that the LORD promised, in Chapter 4, that Zerubbabel would finish the building he had begun, this looks far beyond that, to the work of our Lord Jesus, not only in the final restoration of Jerusalem, but in the salvation of all who trust in Him, truly the building of the temple of the LORD; “and He shall bear the glory.” The Lord has said that He will not give His glory to another. But “He shall sit and rule upon His throne; and He shall be a Priest upon His throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” When He is ruling on His throne, and is also a Priest upon His throne, there will be no disagreement between the two positions. But “the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”

(Verses 14 and 15) And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of the LORD. And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the LORD, and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass if ye will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God.

This proves conclusively that the crowns were not for the high priest to wear, but were for a memorial, or a witness, that God would bring to pass this wonderful event He had promised. They were to be given to the keepers of the temple, that they might be there stored to bear witness that He had promised the rising up of the BRANCH, the One. Who is both Priest and King of His people. By this they were to know that the LORD is He, Who sent Zechariah to witness to them of these things. “And this shall come to pass,” that is, they will know this, “if ye will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God.” If they turn away, from the word of the LORD, they will not know whether the LORD sent him, or if he came for some other cause. So it often is with us. The reason why we do not recognize the handiwork of the LORD in those things that take place, is often that we do not obey His voice.

(Verses 1 through 3) And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu; when they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regemmelech, and their men, to pray before the LORD, and to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?

This incident occurred in the ninth month of the Jewish calendar, Chisleu, and on the fourth day of the month. Certain men of the Jews came to speak with the priests and prophets that were in the house of the LORD. They were seeking guidance concerning a “day of mourning and fasting,” which they had been observing for many years, not by the commandment of the LORD, but by their own volition. It commemorated the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. Apparently they were tired of it, but it had become so much of a tradition that they did not know whether, or not, they could just discontinue it, without authority from the priests. That is just as many traditions among the people of God today. They were never ordered of the Lord, but have been practiced so long that people are afraid to lay them aside. If they were truly presented before the Lord, He, no doubt, would give about the same answer He gave these men.

(Verses 4 through 7) Then came the word of the LORD of hosts to me, saying, Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto Me, even to Me? And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves? Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?

This is just the beginning of the answer of the LORD to these people. And this message was not just to the messengers who were sent to inquire, but it was to be declared to “all the people of the land,” as well as to the priests. Some may think it strange, that God would make such great preparations to deliver His people from captivity, while they are still so far from obedience to His word. But such is the picture before us. He knows our every weakness, and is merciful to us at all times. But, oh, what rebukes we sometimes receive because we have not obeyed His word! He points out to them that all their ritual of fasting, as well as eating and drinking, was for themselves, and not to Him. That is, it was all according to the imagination of their own hearts, and not by His commandment. This is much the same as the observance today of the two “great Christian Holidays”. Christmas and Easter. He never commanded either. And any suggestion of observing them among early Christians would have been considered Paganism and Idolatry, which it actually is even now. The real question to these people is, “Would it not have been more profitable to listen to, and obey, the word of the LORD, brought to them by the prophets of the LORD before they were overrun and taken into captivity?” All the great rituals of celebration, whether fasting, or feasting, are worthless. Samuel’s word to Saul, in I Samuel 15:22-23, is something we should always remember. “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.”

(Verses 8 through 12) And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: and oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in His Spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.

Since all of those things set up by man, without the commandment of the LORD are worthless, He tells us how to worship and serve Him. Since there can not possibly be any misunderstanding of those things the LORD tells us to do, they can all be enclosed in what Solomon told us is the whole duty of man. “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” If we fear the LORD, and spend our time keeping His commandments, we will not have time to think up new things to do, and new rituals to practice in our efforts to serve Him. But these people had turned away from His word, and stopped their ears lest they should hear His law and the words, or messages, He sent them by His prophets. “Therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.” If He thus dealt with them, what can we expect, if we do as they did?

(Verses 13 and 14) Therefore it is come to pass, that as He cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts: But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate.

Thus the LORD declares to them that He is the One, Who has brought them to their present position and condition, as punishment for their refusal to listen to His many warnings to them. He sent to them prophets telling them exactly what He was going to bring upon them; but they would not listen. So He fulfilled His word to them, and now their land has been, and still is, desolate, because of their sins. Certainly, He has promised to bring them back from their present captivity. But as He has told them in many places in His word, they will rebel again, and again He will punish them with another dispersion. History also declares to us today that these things too have been done. But He has promised never to completely forsake them. So for His own name’s sake He has promised to give unto them a final restoration, and provide that they will never again turn away from His commandments.

Chapter 8

(Verses 1 through 8) Again the word of the LORD of hosts came unto me, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury. Thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Zion , and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem : and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvelous in Mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts.. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save My people from the east country, and from the west country; and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem : and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.

The LORD gives Zechariah a further message to Jerusalem and Judah . That message is that He, the LORD of hosts, has been jealous for Jerusalem with a great jealousy, and with great fury. Notice that He does not say, “jealous of Jerusalem ,” but “jealous for Jerusalem .” That is, in spite of the fact that He gave Judah and Jerusalem into captivity to the Babylonians, He did it for their ultimate good. They had become so involved in sin, and had so neglected serving Him, that He sent this upon them to turn them back to His ways. So now He has returned to Zion . He is taking away the chastisement, and will bless her greatly. He will even dwell in the midst of Jerusalem , and will cause her to be called “a city of truth.” Also His mountain, Mount Zion , shall be called “the holy mountain.” Instead of being desolate, as she had for seventy years, Jerusalem shall be filled with inhabitants, even men and women of great age, as well as young boys and girls playing in the streets. He then asks a question. “If it be marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvelous in Mine eyes?” Just because there is only a remnant of the inhabitants of Jerusalem remaining, this seems to them marvelous, even to the point of being unbelievable. But it is not necessarily marvelous in the sight of the LORD. He can speak, and bring it to pass. And He has spoken this very promise. He further declares, “Behold, I will save My people from the east country, and from the west country; and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem : and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness." This promise embraces not only the deliverance of His people from the Babylonian captivity, but even the restoration from the present dispersion in which the Jews are suffering. And world events seem to indicate that the time for the latter is not so far distant as some may think.

(Verses 9 through 15) Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built. For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbor. But now I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the LORD of hosts. For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah , and house of Israel ; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong. For thus saith the LORD of hosts; As I thought to punish you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath, saith the LORD of hosts, and I repented not: So again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah : fear ye not.

As can readily be seen, this part of the message is to those who hear the words of the prophets the LORD of hosts has sent to those who are present in the day of the laying of the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts. He reminds them that because He set every man against his neighbor, and caused desolation to come upon Jerusalem , and upon the land of Judah , there was no employment for either man or beast. But now the situation has been changed for them. Notice that He does not say that they have caused this change. The entire change is based upon what He, the LORD, will do. Just as surely as He brought upon this people all these calamities to punish them for their iniquities, so He has now purposed to make them a blessing instead of a curse among men. He will cause their fields and vineyards to produce bountifully, and He will cause the people to possess all these wonderful blessings of which He has spoken. And just as He did not repent of (turn away from) all the chastisement He decreed for their fathers, neither will He fail in giving the blessings He now promises them. So He tells them to fear not, but let their hands be strong. That is, Let them be strong to do the things which He commands them.

(Verses 16 and 17) These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbor; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: and let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbor; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD.

This seems a very short list of things the LORD has commanded the people to do. But if we examine it closely we can see that a great deal is included, which at first glance we do not see. If we are to speak , “every man the truth to his neighbor,” the first thing we must do is to determine, before we speak, that that which we say is the truth. This immediately rules out, not only what we usually consider lying, but even repeating a story which we have not checked out and determined to be the truth. It also immediately would stop the spread of gossip. When we hear something “through the grapevine,” we have no way of immediately knowing whether or not it is true. Until we know for a fact that it is true, we should not repeat it. For it might be false. Neither should we be telling “jokes,” because they usually are not the truth. We could go on, and on, along this line. But surely, this will give us some understanding of the magnitude of this commandment. When it comes to matters of judgment “in the gates,” that is by the ruling council of our city, state, or community, they are all to be executed according to truth, and influenced by neither fear nor favor of man. To do this will bring peace to those so employed. So not only is this the execution of the judgment of truth, but also the judgment of peace.  Do not be watching for evil in your neighbor, and do not imagine that he is engaged in evil. Always look for good in everyone. As is put forth in a saying we have all heard all our lives: “If you can’t say something good about someone, don’t say anything.” And have no love for a false oath; and have no fellowship with one who engages in such things. “For all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD.”

(Verses 18 through 23) And the word of the LORD of hosts came unto me, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; It shall come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: and the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also. Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem , and to pray before the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.

This part of the promise encompasses both the near and the far distant future, just as do so many of the LORD’S promises. All these days of fasting and sorrow shall, when the temple and Jerusalem are rebuilt, be turned into great feasting and joy to those brought back from the Babylonian captivity. And how much more so at the final restoration of Jerusalem . So they are commanded to love the truth and peace. The remainder of this message concerns the final restoration of Jerusalem . In the latter part of the fourteenth chapter of this prophecy Zechariah gives more detail of that time. Here he tells us that men from other nations shall come to Jerusalem to seek the LORD of hosts, and to pray before Him. And in those days “ten men shall take hold out of all the languages of the nations, (Gentiles,) even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.” This has not yet been fulfilled. But it will in those days after the final restoration of Israel .

Chapter 9

(Verses 1 through 8) The burden of the word of the LORD in the land of Hadrach , and Damascus shall be the rest thereof: when the eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel , shall be toward the LORD. And Hamath also shall border thereby; Tyrus, and Zidon, though it be very wise. And Tyrus did build herself a stronghold, and heaped up silver as dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets. Behold, the LORD will cast her out, and He will smite her power in the sea; and she shall be devoured with fire. Ashkelon shall see it, and fear; Gaza also shall see it, and be very sorrowful, and Ekron; for her expectation shall be ashamed; and the king shall perish from Gaza , and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited. And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod , and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines. And I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth: but he that remaineth, even he, shall be for our God, and he shall be as a governor in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite. And I will encamp about Mine house because of the army, because of him that passeth by, and because of him that returneth: and no oppressor shall pass through them any more: for now have I seen with Mine eyes.

As is claimed by some, this may be a prophecy of the passing through, and return of Alexander the Great, in his conquest of that region. At that time, he did overcome the various cities mentioned in these verses. But as the LORD said in verse 8, He did protect His house, and the city of Jerusalem in both the passing, and returning of Alexander. But it seems that it has a much wider scope than just a view of Alexander’s conquest. Even an expression in verse 1 seems to look far into the future, even to the final restoration of Israel . “When the eyes of men, as all the tribes of Israel shall be toward the LORD.” In Alexander’s time “the eyes of men,” the eyes of all men, were not toward the LORD. But in the day of that final battle, when all nations shall be gathered against Israel, and the Lord Himself fights for Jerusalem, all eyes, “the eyes of men” not just the eyes of Jerusalem will be toward the LORD. “And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines,” seems to more closely fit the present day condition, as well as what may soon come to pass, than it does any other era in history. A bastard is one who is illegitimate, usually by being born out of wedlock. But as a people, and as the leader of a people, it might also mean one who claims a position that is not legitimately his. The “Palestinians” try to claim that their right to the land of Canaan antedates that of the Israelis because they are the descendants of the Philistines, who occupied the land before the Exodus of the Israelites. All who claim any expertise in genealogy deny this. They tell us that the modern Syrians, though they are not altogether descendants of the Philistines, are the nearest to that, living today. The modern “Palestinians” seem to be made up of a mixture from all of the Arab nations. Therefore they occupy an illegitimate claim. And their leader, Mr. Arafat, is in the same situation. In verse 7, the LORD says, “And I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth: but he that remaineth, even he, shall be as a governor in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite.” The LORD will take away from this man, whether it be Arafat, or someone else, “his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth.” That is, whatever prey he may have taken, and just as he thinks he will completely devour it, shall be taken away from him, and, probably, he shall himself be destroyed. Then he that remains, “even he, shall be for our God.” Then that remnant shall be as close a follower of the LORD as is a governor of Judah . And those of Ekron shall be His followers, even as are the inhabitants of Jerusalem . “And I will encamp about Mine house because of the army, because of him that passeth by, and because of him that returneth: and no oppressor shall pass through them any more: for I have seen with Mine eyes.” Surely, this looks to the final restoration of Israel , Judah , and Jerusalem . Because many oppressors have passed through them since it was said. But after that day they shall never pass this way again.

(Verses 9 through 11) Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Jerusalem : behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem , and the battle bow shall be cut off: and He shall speak peace unto the heathen: and His dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. As for Thee also, by the blood of Thy covenant I have sent forth Thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.

For anyone who is acquainted with The New Testament, it would be difficult to overlook the fact that this is a prophecy of the coming of the Christ. Sometimes, however, some fail to understand that it covers His work in both His first and second advents. The LORD calls upon “the daughter of Zion ” to rejoice greatly, and to shout, because of His coming. Notice is to be taken that when He comes, He will be meek and lowly. He will not come as a great conqueror, or as a reigning king, such as many, who came before him, have done. When Alexander and his army came through the land, it was a time of great fear, and trouble. But when He shall come, there is cause for great rejoicing. Although He is greater than all, who came before Him, He makes His appearance in a meek and humble way. He, instead of coming to take the spoil of war, and to take captives, comes bringing a gift, the greatest ever given, salvation and freedom from the captivity of sin. Yet He does not come, riding upon a beautiful horse, or in a fancy chariot, but upon the poor man’s beast of burden, an ass. The wording of this statement may seem a little strange to some, and to them, it may give the impression that He is riding two animals, which would be strange indeed. “He is just, and having salvation, lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” But it only is to emphasize the fact that the ass upon which He is riding is only a colt, and not one that has ever before been ridden. That is why He instructed His disciples, when He sent them for this colt, that they would find one upon which man had never sat. (See Luke 19:30.) If we examine the accounts given in the gospels, we see just how lowly He appeared at this time. He did not even have a saddle upon which to ride. His followers just simply laid some of their robes upon the colt, and our LORD sat upon them instead of a saddle. Nevertheless this same King, Who comes in such an humble manner, is the same One that speaks peace unto the heathen, and shall have dominion over the earth “from sea even to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth.” Before He does this, the LORD will “cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem , and the battle bow shall be cut off.” That is, all weapons of war shall be laid aside, and there shall be no more fighting among men. There are many that try to claim that this has already been done in the bringing in of the gospel church. If so, how is it that today we have more different groups than ever before claiming to be “the Gospel Church ,” with each group fighting every other group, and claiming to be the only one really following the teachings of the Lord Jesus? If we are honest in our assessment of the situation, we will all have to agree that there are things in “our church” that are not exactly as our Lord Jesus has commanded. Not only so, but in every “church” a little friction can be found. There is never perfect peace in any one of them. But in the dominion of our Lord, in that day of which Zechariah speaks, there shall be perfect peace. Finally, as the LORD addresses our Lord Jesus, He says, “As for Thee also, by the blood of Thy covenant I have sent forth Thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.” Inasmuch as “the pit wherein is no water” is a reference to the grave, He is here declaring the resurrection of those embraced in the blood of the covenant of our Lord Jesus. All of His redeemed shall be there. What a day that will be!

(Verses 12 through 17)Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render double unto thee; when I have bent Judah for Me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man. And the LORD shall be seen over them, and His arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord GOD shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south. The LORD of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar. And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of His people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon His land. For how great is His goodness, and how great is His beauty! Corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids.

Now He directs His word to those He has delivered from “the pit wherein is no water.” They are the prisoners of hope. And to them He says, “Turn you to the stronghold - - - even today do I declare that that I will render double unto thee.” That is, He will give them twice as much joy as they have had of sorrow. This is almost the same as the Apostle Paul said, in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18. “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” All this is to be done when the LORD has overcome all the enemies of His people, and when, after the sons of Zion and the sons of Greece, gathered against each other, shall see the arrow of the LORD go forth as lightning, and shall hear the trumpet that He shall blow, as He goes forth with whirlwinds of the south. Then He will defend them both and bring them together. In that day they shall “drink, and make a noise  as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar.” Inasmuch as the drinking of wine was usually accompanied by merrymaking and singing, they will make similar noise from the joy of drinking in the mercy of the LORD. “They shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar.” There will be no halfway measures concerning their joy. All will be complete. “And the LORD their God shall save then in that day as the flock of His people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon His land.” Perhaps, a better translation of the word translated “save,”  would be “keep,” for at that time the LORD will already have saved them from even “the pit wherein is no water.” Now He will keep them forever. Notice that from the point in verse 13, where the “sons of Greece ” were mentioned, they have been included in all references of “they.” As is the case in some other places in scripture, “the sons of Greece ” are, probably, used as representative of all the Gentiles. For in that day all will yield themselves to the King in Zion . And He will keep them all. “For they, (both Jew and Gentile,) shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon His land.” Both His goodness and His beauty are so great that they cannot be described. The nearest we can approach to describing them is to exclaim as did Zechariah, “For how great is His goodness, and how great is His beauty!” In his kingdom there shall be no lack of that which will cause gladness to all.

(Verses 1 through 4) Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field. For the idols have spoken vanity, and diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, and were troubled, because there was no shepherd. Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the LORD of hosts hath visited His flock the house of Judah , and hath made them as His goodly horse in the battle. Out of Him came forth the corner, out of Him the nail, out of Him the battle bow, out of Him every oppressor together.

Now the LORD addresses the remnant of Judah, who are engaged in the rebuilding of the temple and Jerusalem . He encourages them to ask rain of the LORD in the season of the latter rain, that, by sending them showers sufficient to cause the grass to grow for everyone, He may prove to them that He is powerful, and not helpless as are the idols to which their fathers have sought, and by whom they have been disappointed.. Those idols spoke vanity, and their diviners, or soothsayers, have seen lies, and told false dreams. In fact, they even told the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judah that there would be no Babylonian captivity. And, surely, that was a lie and a false dream. Those present can attest to that fact. But because of their lies and false dreams, the whole flock of them have gone their way, and are no more. The reason for this is that there was no shepherd among them. That is, there was among them no prophet of God. Surely, they had their own prophets. But they were only false prophets. Therefore the LORD was angry against their shepherds, and punished the goats. On the other hand, He has visited His flock, the house of Judah . And He has strengthened them, even as “His goodly horse in the battle.” He further tells them that all things come from Himself. Without Him there would be no wisdom to even form a corner in building a house, and there would be no nail with which to fasten it. It was also from Him that the knowledge came by which men could make a bow to be used in battle. And the final thing mentioned, is one that many will deny. “Out of Him (came) every oppressor together.” Many will tell us today that God is too loving and good to do such evil as to make the oppressor. But here He declares that He did exactly this. And Solomon tells us in Proverbs 16:4, “The LORD hath made all things for Himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.” It logically follows that, since He made all things, He also is able, and knows how, to control all things. Therefore those who lean always upon Him are happy, whatever their lot may be. For they know that He is still in control of all things.

(Verses 5 through 12) And they shall be as mighty men, which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle: and they shall fight, because the LORD is with them, and the riders on horses shall be confounded. And I will strengthen the house of Judah , and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them again to place them; for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the LORD their God, and will hear them. And they of Ephraim shall be as a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the LORD. I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them: and they shall increase as they have increased. And I will sow them among the people: and they shall remember Me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and shall turn again. I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt , and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon ; and place shall not be found for them. And He shall pass through the sea with affliction, and shall smite the waves of the sea, and all the deeps of the river shall dry up and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the sceptre of Egypt shall depart away. And I will strengthen them in the LORD; and they shall walk up and down in His name, saith the LORD.

To some extent this embraces the return of Judah from the Babylonian captivity. But, primarily, it looks forward to the final re-gathering of all Israel from the far countries in which they have been, and even now are still, dispersed. Only the house of Judah was primarily concerned in the return from Babylon . But here He mentions the house of Ephraim and the house of Joseph, showing that the scope is much wider than just Judah , and includes all Israel . They shall be gathered from unnamed “far countries,” as well as from Egypt , Assyria, Gilead, and Lebanon . That is they shall be gathered as He said to them by the Prophet Ezekiel, “Behold, I will take the children from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land.” (Ezekiel 37:21) Then “He (their king, Christ Jesus,) shall pass through the sea with affliction, and shall smite the waves in the sea, and all the deeps of the river shall dry up: the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the sceptre of Egypt shall depart away.” This by no means intends that their King shall be afflicted at this time. Rather He shall send affliction to all the enemies of Israel , as He smites the waves of the sea. Even the river shall dry up. Since He mentions only one river, and immediately says that the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, it is only reasonable to conclude that Euphrates is the river under consideration. Since it has always been the principal source of water for the land of Assyria , its drying up would be a terrible blow to that land. Not only shall Assyria be brought down, but there shall no more be a king in Egypt . The scepter is gone from Egypt . “And I will strengthen them in the LORD; and they shall walk up and down in His name, saith the LORD.” The “them” under consideration here is, without question, the people of Israel brought back from their long exile. And by the strength given them of the LORD, they shall walk up and down in His name. They will no longer look to idols, but only to the LORD of hosts.

(Verses 1 and 2) Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that fire may devour thy cedars. Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan ; for the forest of the vintage is come down.

Lebanon had always been renowned for its great cedars and fir trees, and Bashan for its great oaks. Now a cry is made: “Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars. Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan : for the forest of the vintage is come down.” As we continue through this chapter, we see that this message is more metaphoric, than literal. Its reference is to the people of these places, who considered themselves great, rather than to the literal trees of the forest. This has special reference to the leaders of the people. In the following verses they are called “shepherds,” not because they took care of the people, but because they claimed to do so.

(Verses 3 through 9) There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds; for their glory is spoiled: a voice of the roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled. Thus saith the LORD my God; feed the flock of slaughter; whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed be the LORD; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not. For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbor’s hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them. And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock. Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me. Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another.

This seems to look beyond the restoration from the Babylonian captivity to the condition of the Jews shortly before, and at, the time of the first advent of our Lord Jesus. As history shows, there was only a remnant brought back from Babylon . And they were blessed of the LORD to continue, more or less as a nation until the destruction of the temple, and the great dispersion of the Jews in 70 AD, although never completely independent. Even at the time of our Lord’s birth they were under the rule of Rome . They once said to Him, “We be Abraham’s seed; and were never in bondage to any man.” But they knew that to be false even as they spoke. For then they were under Roman occupation. What can that be but bondage? They had among them those who claimed to teach the commandments of God, and thus considered themselves shepherds of the people. But our Lord told them that they, by the traditions they taught, made void the commandments of God. But there would be a “voice of howling of the shepherds; for their glory is spoiled: a voice of roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled.” It was under these conditions that Our Lord came. And His commandment from God the Father was “Feed the flock of slaughter.” That is, the elect of God. “Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, ‘Blessed be the LORD; for I am rich.’” Although they did not have civil authority over them, since that was in the hands of Rome, the priests possessed them through their religious authority; so much so that when Jesus was brought before Pilate, they were able to persuade the same multitude that hardly a week before had been saying of Him, “Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the LORD: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest,” to now cry “Crucify Him, crucify Him.” Their only praise to God was because their position as the shepherds of the people made them rich. But they had no pity on the flock. Because of this He declares, “For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land: - - - but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbor’s hand, and into the hand of his king: they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them.” No doubt “their king,” into whose hand He said He would deliver them, is Caesar. For as they stood before Pilate at the trial of our Lord, they made an open declaration, “We have no king but Caesar.” And the LORD did not deliver them out of his hand. Instead, He suffered Caesar’s army to destroy their temple and their city, and caused them to be dispersed throughout the earth. He then declares, “And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock.” Again, as in verse 4, He is addressing the elect of God. As Jesus often said, He did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. He said, “They that are whole, need not a physician; but they that are sick.” He further declared, “No man can come unto me, except My Father, that sent Me draw him.” So surely He was sent to the “flock of slaughter,” the elect of the Father. Them He would feed. “And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock.” We are told that the names of these two staves should have been translated, “Graciousness,” and “Binders,” which might give us a little better understanding of them. As our Lord fed the flock then, and as He feeds it today, It is He through Whom the Father shows His graciousness to us; and it is through Him that He binds us together in love to Himself, and one to another. Jesus certainly carried these two staves as He fed the flock. We cannot be sure whether verse 8 refers to any particular three persons as the shepherds He cut off in one month, or whether it is said simply to show how vigorously He prosecuted His work. But He had no respect for those He cut off. And those cut off hated Him. Nevertheless, He, having thus fed the flock, broke off His work, with the decision, “I will not feed you: that which dieth, let it die; and that which is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another.” If we attempt to leave this at this point, it appears that He has abandoned the “flock of slaughter,” the elect of God. But this flock that He will not feed is not the “poor of the flock,” but the remainder of the flock, which, as the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 9:6-7, are “of Israel ” but are not “ Israel .” After His crucifixion and resurrection, He sent His disciples into all the world, instead of only to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel . And until He returns to Israel they are not to be fed, but are left to their fate; “That, that dieth, let it die; and that, that is cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another.” In spite of this, He still takes care of His own. And He will, at His appointed time restore the whole flock of Israel .

(Verses 10 through 14) And I took my staff, even Beauty, (Graciousness,) and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people. And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the LORD. And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD. Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, (Binders,) that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel .

In this we see two major acts of our Lord depicted by the actions of the prophet in his vision. The first one is that he took his staff that represents his graciousness to Israel , and cut it into two pieces, signifying that the LORD was cutting off His graciousness to them. As the Apostle Paul explains in Romans 11:25, this is both a partial cutting off, and a temporary one. “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye be wise in your own conceits; that blindness IN PART is happened to Israel, UNTIL THE FULLNESS OF THE GENTILES BE COME IN.” (The emphasis is mine, to call attention to the fact that it is both partial and temporary. Zechariah tells us that this breaking off of the graciousness of God to Israel in that day caused “the poor of the flock that waited upon me” to know that it was the word of the LORD. So from this we are assured that God did not forsake His elect in that breaking of His covenant which He had made with the people. As always, there was a remnant according to His election. At this point the prophet portrays by his action in the vision, Judas’ selling out our Lord Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. Matthew tells us, in Matthew 26:14-16, of Judas’ agreeing to betray Jesus to the priests for thirty pieces of silver, and in Matthew 27:3-10 of his casting the thirty pieces of silver down in the temple, and what the priests did with that money. The history of the incident was in perfect accord with the prophet’s portrayal of it. After this, the prophet took his other staff, Bands, (Binders,) and also cut it into two pieces, as he had done with Beauty. By this he declared the breaking of the bond of brotherhood between Judah and Israel . So that blindness “in part” to Israel is completely established until the fullness of the Gentiles shall have come in.

(Verses 15 through 17) And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd. For I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces. Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! The sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.

Once more Zechariah is ordered of the LORD to take up the instruments of a foolish shepherd. This is, apparently, only for the purpose of showing that God is going to raise up a shepherd. But this shepherd is to be such that many would tell us that God would not do such a thing as to raise up such a shepherd. They would tell us that Satan is the only one, who would raise up such. Nevertheless, the LORD says, “I will raise up a shepherd in the land.” And this shepherd will be one, who cares nothing for the flock, but is only concerned for himself. He will even be an idol shepherd. He did not say, “an idle shepherd,” but “an idol shepherd.” An idol, whether a shepherd, or not, is one that is set up to be worshipped. And I know of no character in scripture that better fits this description than the “man of sin,” whom Paul describes in II Thessalonians 2:3-4. “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” As you continue reading through verse 9 of that same chapter his destruction is to be very much in keeping with what Zechariah tells us will be that of the idol shepherd.

(Verses 1 through 5) The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel , saith the LORD, Which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem . And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though the people of all the earth be gathered together against it. In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open Mine eyes upon the house of Judah , and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.

As we view the events now taking place in the world, we are fully convinced that this is a prophecy to which all peoples of the world had better pay heed. Yet, sadly, they will not. Notice that this is “The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel .” Not “The burden of the word of the LORD against Israel .” This is declared by “the LORD Which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within himself.” He is indeed the God, Who does great things. But He also condescends to small things. He even forms the spirit of man within himself. So He can come into our heart and change our spirit, our mind, or our heart, just as easily as He created the heaven and the earth. And this He did by simply saying, “Let it be.” He points to a certain day, the day when all nations shall be gathered against Judah and Jerusalem , and declares that in that day He will work a work that shall affect the whole earth, every nation thereof. When this day arrives, (and it appears to be drawing very close, even now) He will make Jerusalem a “cup of trembling unto all the people round about.” There appears to be the beginning of this great battle between Jerusalem and her enemies even now. And already most of the nations are trying to side with her enemies. But God has declared that when the siege shall actually be set, with all the people gathered around, He will Himself lay upon these nations a great fear, “trembling,” because of Jerusalem . Even if every nation of the world is there gathered against Jerusalem , He will make Jerusalem such a “burdensome stone” to all those who “burden themselves with it,” that is, all who are against Jerusalem , that they will be cut to pieces. Although there, probably, will be few horses, if any, used in that battle, in Zechariah’s day the horse was in common use in battle. His use of the confusion and blindness that shall be upon every horse and his rider, is to show that the LORD will put upon all the enemies of Judah and Jerusalem such confusion that they shall be completely routed by the protectors of Jerusalem and Judah . In fact, further on in this prophecy, He declares that He will Himself fight in this battle. And we know what will be the result of that. Notice that in that day the governors of Judah shall be emboldened to say in their hearts, “The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.” They will in that day be turned back to “the LORD of hosts their God.” No more will they trust in themselves, nor in the help of man.

(Verses 6 through 9) In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem . The LORD shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah . In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem ; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem .

Notice should be taken that this whole chapter, together with the beginning of the next chapter, concerns things that will be done in the same “day,” or time. Sometimes the expression, “that day,” does not limit itself to a solar day, but is instead concerned with the duration of a certain event. In the time of this great work the LORD will make the governors of Judah so great in battle that they shall be among their enemies as a “hearth of fire among the wood,” or as a “torch of fire in a sheaf.” They shall make short work of destroying them. They will “devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left.” The LORD here makes a declaration, which many today seem to doubt, “And Jerusalem shall be inhabited in her own place, even in Jerusalem .” Since this is the word of the LORD, there can be no possibility of its failure. Before the LORD delivers Jerusalem , He will deliver “the tents of Judah first.” This is to insure that the members of the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not feel that they are exalted above the rest of Judah . Thus there will be no room for jealousy to grow up between them. Verse 8 is not to be understood as that there will be any among them that day that are feeble. Rather, its message is that the weakest among them would still be as great a warrior as was David. And the scriptures tell us of His great prowess in that field. Not only will the weakest among them be as was David, but the house of David together will be absolutely invincible, “as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.” So there can be no uncertainty of the outcome of this battle. As we continue through this prophecy, we find that when He says “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy the nations that come against Jerusalem ,” He does not mean that He will annihilate those nations, but destroy their power. This He will indeed do to every one that comes against Jerusalem .

(Verses 10 through 14) And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem , the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me Whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him , as one mourneth for his only son, and one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem , as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon . And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; all the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.

Not until this time will the Jews be converted to the Christ. But in that time they shall “look upon,” or recognize Him, and be made to realize that it is He, Whom they have pierced. They caused him to be crucified, His hands and feet pierced with the nails that held Him to the cross. And His side was pierced by the spear of the soldier. When they are made to realize this, there shall be poured upon them such a spirit of grace and supplication that there will be among them the greatest mourning yet experienced by men. It will be such that each family will withdraw to its own privacy to mourn. For they will understand that He, Whom they have caused to be crucified, and have so long rejected is the Son of the Living God, is their King and Savior.

(Verse 1) In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and uncleanness.

Many try to associate this verse with the first advent of our Lord Jesus. But, clearly, it is a part of those things, which shall be brought to pass at the time of this great mourning. And that shall come only after the great deliverance, of Judah and Jerusalem , followed by the mourning of the inhabitants thereof for their sin of piercing and so long rejecting the Son of God. Do not misunderstand what I am here saying. There is no intention to say that they could have done anything else about that matter. The entire eleventh chapter of this prophecy shows that the rejection and crucifixion of our Lord Jesus were purposed of God, and would come to pass just as He had purposed. But as Our Lord said in “Luke 22:21 -22, “But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth Me is with Me on the table. And truly the Son of man goeth as was determined: but woe unto that man by whom He is betrayed.” The fact that the LORD had before determined that it would be this way does not, in any wise, lessen the responsibility of him, by whom it is brought about.

(Verses 2 through 5) And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall be no more remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land. And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the LORD: and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth. And it shall come to pass in that day that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive; But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.

At the time when He brings upon the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem this great mourning, and opens for them this wonderful fountain for the cleansing of their sin, He will cut off the names of all the idols after which they have gone for so long. And He will drive out both the prophets and the unclean spirit. The prophets of whom He speaks are not His prophets. For He will need no prophets, since He will be dwelling with His people, and will be their King. These prophets are the false prophets that have led them astray, as they prophesied according to the unclean spirit. If one should attempt to prophesy, his own father and mother would be the first to call for his death, and would even put him to death themselves, because he prophesied lies in the name of the LORD. In that day, if one had a vision that he even thought about telling to anyone, he would be so ashamed of it that he would not tell it. And if anyone tried to call him a prophet, his answer would be, “I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; (keeper of cattle;) for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.

(Verse 6) And one shall say unto Him, What are these wounds in Thine hands? Then He shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends.

This verse is certainly not to be made a part of what is said above concerning the prophets, but instead concerns the Christ, when they shall look upon Him, and behold the wounds in His hands. His answer shows that He has put away their sin. For He calls them “His Friends,” as He says, “Those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends." This will be their status in that day.

(Verses 7 through 9) Awake, O sword, against My shepherd, and against the man that is My fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn Mine hand upon the little ones. And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on My name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is My people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

On the night in which our Lord was arrested, He quoted a portion of verse 7 to His disciples, indicating that this prophecy was concerning His being taken and crucified. Just as the prophet had said, when He, the Shepherd was smitten, His disciples, the sheep, were scattered. As He told them, they all left Him alone to face the terrible ordeal. Yet He was not alone. For the Father was with Him. After He was crucified, the persecution of the disciples, “the little ones,” began in earnest. Then the LORD brought to pass that which is spoken in verse 8. “And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts shall be cut off and die; but the third part shall be left therein.” This is a prophecy of the terrible destruction and devastation when Titus and his army destroyed the temple and Jerusalem , and the remnant of the Jews were dispersed throughout the world. From that day even until the present day, that remnant have been, and are, going through the fire until they shall be refined as silver and gold are refined. When the process is finished to the satisfaction of the LORD, will be fulfilled the remainder of verse 9. “They shall call on My name, and I will hear them: and I will say, It is My people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.” That is the day of which the principal part of this prophecy tells, the restoration of Israel and Judah to Jerusalem .

(Verses 1 through 3) Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished: and half of the city shall be taken into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle.

Sometimes people make the mistake of thinking that this declaration relates to the siege and destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. That is a great error. The only nation gathered against Jerusalem at that time was Rome . Titus was a Roman general, and the Roman legions were the army he commanded. In this battle, which is yet to come, the LORD declares that He will gather “all nations against Jerusalem to battle.” Actually, this appears to, chronologically, come before the early portion of chapter 12; and is really what sets the stage for that. In this portion of the battle, the city is “taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city” This signifies that even as the enemies overrun half of the city, that will be as far as they can go. All of their atrocities shall be brought to an end. For that is when verse 3 shall have its fulfillment. “Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle.” It is at this point that the LORD shall Personally enter the battle.

(Verses 4 through 8) And His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah : and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: but it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem ; half of them toward the former (eastern) sea, and half of them toward the hinder (western) sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.

This gives the details of how the LORD shall fight for Jerusalem . First, “His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives.” Of course this is the same mount of Olives that always has, and still does stand just east of the city of Jerusalem . It is a literal mountain; and His feet shall literally stand upon it. When this takes place, the mountain shall break into two sections, with the rift running east and west across it. Then there shall be movement of both segments of it. The northern portion shall move to the north, and the southern part shall move to the south, thus forming a great valley. I realize that many of our brethren will try to tell us, “This just cannot happen. You have to interpret this to mean something else.” Then they set their imagination loose to come up with something by which they can explain it. When I meet with such argument, I wonder, “Does this person even believe Genesis 1:1? If he did, He should have no difficulty in believing the literal truth set forth by this prophet.” The great valley formed by the breaking of this mountain is the refuge of those in Jerusalem . And into it they shall flee. In that day, the LORD and all His saints shall come to Jerusalem . It will be a strange day. It will be such a day that man has never known. But it is a day known to the LORD. The days known to man usually start by the darkness of night gradually giving way to the light of day, which continues until, in a reversal of the order, the light fades, and darkness again takes over. This is not the order of that day. In it there will be no separation of day from night, but “at evening time it shall be light.” Certainly, the LORD Himself shall be the light of that day. And in His light, neither the light of day nor the darkness of night can be seen. “The light shall not be clear, nor dark.” Neither the ordinary light of day, nor the darkness of night can show up. The light of that day is not the only phenomenon to be observed. The weather also shall be unusual. “In summer and in winter shall it be” This seems to be a manner of saying that it will be a very pleasant time. For if the heat of summer is mixed with the cold of winter, it should be about as pleasant as could be had. “And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem ; half of them toward the former (eastern) sea, and half of them toward the hinder (western) sea.” Those who try to “spiritualize” everything in the scriptures, attempt to relate this to the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus. And they try to tell us that this represents the blood of the Christ, as part of it flowed “toward the former sea,” in that it reaches all the way back to the beginning of time for the cleansing from sin of all of God’s elect in that era; and as part of it flows “toward the hinder sea,” it reaches on to the end of time in the cleansing of the sins of His elect from the time of His crucifixion until the end of time. While, certainly, His blood does reach all of God’s elect from the beginning to the end, that is not what is here under consideration. This is a fountain that shall be literally opened up in Jerusalem in that day, and shall water the great valley made by the breaking of the mount of Olives. It is a fountain of living, or flowing, waters; not just a slightly trickling stream. This fountain shall flow toward both The Dead Sea, and The Mediterranean Sea.

(Verses 9 through 11) And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and His name one. And the land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem : and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king’s winepresses. And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.

As one goes south of Jerusalem , he finds the terrain to be somewhat hilly, and, in some places, even mountainous. But in the day here spoken of, it will be made into a plain, and, apparently, it will be watered by the fountain that shall spring forth in Jerusalem . The LORD, Who shall fight that great battle for Jerusalem , shall be King of the whole earth. Although the LORD is, and always has been, the King of all the earth, He has, heretofore, permitted man some autonomy in it, and has even suffered Satan to usurp some great power in it. But in that day, He will take unto Himself His great power, and reign, even as the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures said in Rev. 11:17-18. There will be no more idols, and even their names will be obliterated. That great plain that shall then be created, and Jerusalem itself, shall be inhabited safely. For there will be no more utter destruction, as in former times.

(Verses 12 through 15) And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD shall smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem . Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbor, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbor. And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem ; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance. And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague.

While I have never seen a person who had suffered from the fall out, or the direct radiation of a nuclear, or an atomic bomb, I have been told that the description given here of those who have fought against Jerusalem in this great battle will exactly fit such victims. It will not be necessary for the LORD to make use of such weapons. But He can, even without such, cause the very same effects upon His enemies. And He can do so with pinpoint accuracy, with no danger of collateral damage such as is caused by these weapons. This plague shall be upon both man and beast that have had part in this fight against Jerusalem . In addition to this, even among them, the LORD will cause such tumult, or confusion, that they will fight among themselves. Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem . Those of Judah will not be fighting among themselves, but against the enemies of Jerusalem . When the battle is over all the wealth of those nations that fought against Jerusalem shall be gathered together. That is, it shall be collected by the inhabitants of Jerusalem .

(Verses 16 through 19) And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up, of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD shall smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt , and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

This is the new order of that day. Heretofore the LORD has suffered the Gentile nations to walk in their own ways, and even to persecute His chosen nation, Israel . But in that day, He will take unto Himself His great power and truly reign over all the earth, in a manner that will be recognized by all, even the disobedient. After this great battle, all that are left of the nations of the Gentiles will come up to Jerusalem once each year, at the feast of Tabernacles, to worship the King, Who is none other than the LORD of hosts. In the event any nation should fail to go up to worship the King, there will be no rain on that nation. And where there is no rain, there will be the plague he has already described. No extenuating circumstances will be considered.

(Verses 20 and 21) In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD’S house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.

Thus the Prophet describes the holiness of those in Jerusalem and Judah . And even their horses shall carry the declaration of holiness to the LORD of hosts upon their bells. And all vessels, or pots, in the house of the LORD shall be as holy as even the bowls of the altar. And every vessel in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy, that even they might be used in offering sacrifice. The Canaanites were heathen tribes. And never again shall there be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.