Day #264

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Zechariah 1-7 - Audio
Zechariah 1-7 - Reading

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Zechariah 1:1-6 Zechariah , who came from a priestly family, was born in Babylonia but was part of the first group of exiles to return to Judah in about 538 B.C. He joined forces with and followed up the ministry of the prophet Haggai, who encouraged the returnees by revealing God’s plan to establish his rule and identified the rebuilding of the temple as the initial phase of this plan. Zechariah took restoration to another level by calling the people to covenant renewal alongside their rebuilding project.

1:2 God was angry because of the covenant-breaking sins of the Jews’ pre-exilic forefathers. God’s anger should not be explained away, for to deny that God has genuine emotions is to deprive his of one of the clear marks of personality.

1:6 The returnees confessed that their fathers deserved the exile. Moreover, they also confessed that they had themselves received what they deserved from God during the disappointing early years of the restoration. Admitting the justice of God’s judgment was a crucial element of their repentance.

Zechariah 1:7- 6:8 Zechariah received eight visions from God concerning what God would do about the current difficulties the returnees faced.

1:7-17 The Man Among the Myrtle Trees. Although God’s covenant people are troubled while the oppressing nations are at ease, God will vindicate Judah for the violations against her and will restore them and their towns and the temple. The vision called God’s people to look beyond their present circumstances and to place their trust in the promises of God.

1:8 Zechariah had all eight visions in one night. The visions were given to Zechariah while he was fully awake. They were not dreams.

1:15 God was angry and used the Assyrians to punish, but they went too far by trying to destroy the Jews as people.

1:17 God’s choice of this people and their capital city distinguished them from pagan nations. The result of his choice was to bring them prosperity. If they would repent of their wicked ways and rebuild the temple, God would bring many blessing to the newly formed community in Jerusalem.

1:18-21 Four Horns and Four Craftsmen. Animal horns were symbolic of power and pride in the ancient Near East and elsewhere in the Old Testament. In this vision the four horns represent four nations that oppressed God’s peoples. The four craftsmen represent the nations that would destroy the horns.

1:21 The four craftsmen came to overthrow the power of the oppressing nations. This symbolizes that other nations would destroy the nations that had afflicted God’s people, a fulfillment of God’s assurance to Abraham that he would curse those who cursed Abraham’s descendants.

2:1-5 A Man With a Measuring Line. Zechariah’s third vision stresses that God would protect his people with his own presence. Jerusalem’s walls were probably not yet built and the city was subject to attack from roving bands. These prophecies would be fully realized only in the great son of David, Jesus.

2:1 A Measuring Line was an implement that symbolized Jerusalem’s rebuilding .

2:5 The day of restoration was portrayed by Zechariah and Isaiah as a second exodus with the imagery of the pillar of fire. As God had once protected Israel from her enemies, so he would again guard her from oppressors.

2:6-13 In this section of the chapter, Zechariah addressed the Jews both in Babylon and in Jerusalem.

2:11 “many nations” refers to a time when salvation will extend to the Jews and also to the Gentiles.

Zechariah 3:1-10 The fourth vision, “A Clean Garment for the High Priest” concerns Joshua. This vision deals with the problem of defilement of the priesthood. It begins by showing how God would take care of the problem and ends by depicting how God would wipe away the sins of the people.

3:1 In a courtroom scene, Satan accuses Joshua of his unworthiness of the priesthood. Accusation is a favored ploy of Satan against believers. It differs from the conviction of the Holy Spirit who convinces us of our sin in order to move us to repentance and forgiveness. Satan’s accusations are not always false, but his goal is destructive, not redemptive.

3:2 “A burning stick snatched from the fire” is a metaphor for the exile from which the people of God had been snatched.

3:3 Satan comes with the accusation that Joshua is wearing filthy clothes, and was unclean and unworthy. If the high priest is unclean, who could make atonement for the people’s sins?

3:4 God made Joshua fit for the priesthood by giving him new garments. This cleansing of the priesthood took place to some extent in the postexilic period. Yet what happened to Joshua also pointed to the need for permanent purity in Israel’s priesthood, which would occur only in Christ.

3:8 “The branch” is a title for the Messiah. It combines the offices of priest and king.

3:9 “The stone” is probably a reference to Jesus or his kingdom. “Seven eyes” seems to be a symbol of God’s omniscient and watchful care.

3:10 To “sit under the vine and fig tree” expresses an image of peace and prosperity. The ultimate state of God’s kingdom is in view. On the same day that the sin of the land was removed, peace and contentment would prevail.

Zechariah 4:1-14 The vision of “the gold lampstand and the tow olive trees” focuses on how the work of rebuilding the temple would be completed. Joshua and Zerubbabel were human beings with natural limitations. The empowerment for completing the task would have to come from God. The temple that was built at this time was but a foreshadowing of the greater presence of God that would become a reality when Jesus came as God’s final temple.

4:3 The “two olive trees” stand for the priestly and royal offices and symbolize continuing supply of oil. The two olive branches stand for Joshua the priest and Zerubbabel from the royal house of David. These two leaders were to do God’s work. The combination of the priestly and royal lies and their functions points ultimately to the Messianic King-Priest and his offices and functions.

4:6 “Not by might.” God’s people are repeatedly cautioned not to depend on military powerand foreigh alliances to accomplish their calling.

4:14 The reference “anointed” is to Zerubbabel and Joshua. As God’s chosen leaders they would be supplied by the Holy Spirit with the necessary6 strength to finish the temple. Together they foreshadowed the Messiah, the great Anointed One, who would unite the offices of priest and king into one person.

Zechariah 5:1-4 The vision of “the flying scroll” sends a message to God’s people that he who loves and restores is righteous and will still punish wickedness.

5:3 Like the Ten Commandments, the scroll had writing on both sides. The curse was probably directed at all sins, not just the two commandments written.

5:4 Those who break God’s laws will surely suffer the consequences that this curse brings.

Zechariah 5:5-11 The vision of “the flying basket” describes the iniquity being removed from the land and taken to Shinar.

5:6-7 The prophet saw a small container filled with the iniquity in the land, personified as a woman. She was trapped in the container by a leaden cover weighing approximately 75 pounds.

5:8 Wickedness personified in female form may represent an idolatrous image of a female deity or foreign wives. The two were connected since foreign wives often led the Israelites into idolatry.

5:11 The basket was transported to a new location (Babylon). All the idolaters would be removed along with the object of their idolatry to a safe distance from God’s people.

Zechariah 6:1-8 Zechariah sees four chariots, symbolic of God’s power ruling over the earth.

6:1-3 Chariots were the ancient equivalent of tanks, the key symbol of military power. These chariots were pulled by strong horses, and there were four of them, the number of completeness.

6:5 The chariots represent the four winds of heaven, stressing that nowhere in the world is outside their reach.

6:7 The prime target was the north country (Babylon), which was the objective assigned to two of the four chariots. Victory is easily accomplished. This implies the full and final defeat of those opposed to God.

Zechariah 6:9-15 This oracle looks forward to the successful building of the temple.

6:11 The composite crown reflects the expectation of Hag. 2:8 that both of these elements would come to the temple from afar and fill it with glory.

6:12 Zechariah reiterates Jeremiah’s promise of a coming king who will build the temple of the Lord and bear royal honor, reflecting the authority of the king’s rule.

Zechariah 7:1-14 Zechariah emphasizes that ritual without obedience and justice is empty.

7:3 The fifth month was the month in which the temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar nearly 70 years earlier. Now that the temple was being rebuilt, it was natural to question whether there was any need to observe the rite any longer.

7:7 If the people had learned the lesson that the destruction of the temple was intended to teach and they had truly repented and turned from their sins, then they could stop fasting.