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 domini