

Zechariah's Dreamscape

by Richie Cooley

Licensed by:

Richie Cooley (2015) [edited: (2018); (2020)]

Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0 International

Email: richieacooley@live.com

Table of Contents

I. Introduction to Zechariah's Dreams

II. Prologue

III. Dream 1

IV. Dream 2

V. Dream 3

VI. Dream 4

VII. Dream 5

VIII. Dream 6

IX. Dream 7

X. Dream 8

XI. Epilogue

XII. Conclusion

XIII. Citations

Unless otherwise noted, Old Testament Scripture is taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE® (NASB), copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Unless otherwise noted, New Testament Scripture is taken from the Analytical-Literal Translation of the New Testament: Third Edition (ALT3). Copyright © 2007 by Gary F. Zeolla of Darkness to Light ministry. Previously copyrighted © 1999, 2001, 2005 by Gary Zeolla.

Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.

Before getting started, let's review a few notes...

*This work mostly uses British spelling, except for the quoted material, which often employs U.S. spelling.

*The terms LORD, GOD, and Hashem are all ways to describe the personal name of God, often rendered as "Yahweh" or "Jehovah."

*The ALT3 distinguishes between singular and plural second-person pronouns by means of an asterisk (*).

*Divine pronouns are normally not capitalized, unless they appear that way in Bible versions or other quotes.

*Words that appear in brackets within quotes are not found in the original texts, and were added by the translators or are my personal comments, etc.

*The following, main-text translation of Zechariah is my own.

I. Introduction to Zechariah's Dreams

I'll call them dreams since they happened at night, but it's debatable if they were really "dreams" or "visions." To understand the usefulness of these dreams you must first consider who Zechariah was and what situation he found himself in. Israel is God's chosen nation. Due to sin, the Almighty judged his people through the imperial powers of Assyria and Babylon. These two mighty nations ransacked the land and carried away thousands of captives. At the end of the Babylonian captivity (around 538 B.C.) many Jews stayed put and only a remnant returned to their homeland.

Obviously the situation they found themselves in was disheartening. Their beloved capital had been razed, their beloved Temple burned down, and their protective walls and treasures were things of the past. Added to all this was the fact that foreigners had been inhabiting the land and were out to cause problems for those who returned. Despite these obstacles, work on the second Temple began (Ezra 3); however, due to the pressure of the foreigners, the work eventually stopped (Ezra 4:24). Years later God would begin to stir a prophet named Haggai to encourage the people to resume the work (Haggai 1:1-8; Ezra 5:1-2).

Shortly after Haggai began prophesying (in the sixth month of the second year of Darius) God also visited Zechariah. His history can be pieced together from different sources...

Like Jeremiah and Ezekiel he was both prophet and priest. He is spoken of as a young man in [Zechariah] 2:4, though no specific age can be gleaned from this reference. Jewish tradition credits him with being one of the Great Synagogue, a body which is thought to have gathered and preserved the sacred writings and traditions of the Jews after the exile. Zechariah began his ministry two months after Haggai had commenced his prophetic service. (Cp. Hag 1:1 and Zec 1:1.) It was in the second year of the reign of Darius Hystaspes (521-485 BC) which was the year 520 BC. The length of his ministry is unknown. His book has three notations of time (1:1; 1:7; and 7:1). His ministry, like that of Haggai, was to encourage the returned remnant to rebuild the Temple, and to nourish hope in the coming time of victory over every enemy. Zechariah's ministry extends in scope far beyond that of Haggai...The Prophet foresaw the completion of the Temple in 516 BC (Ezra 6:15), but went far beyond that in the last chapters of his prophecy. -- Feinberg1

The book not only made a big splash in its own day, but the waves of it reverberated on into the time of the Lord Jesus Christ. According to Barry Webb (citing Aland) there are 11 direct quotes from Zechariah and 64 allusions found in the New Testament.2 This seemingly makes the book more quoted than just about any other, even though it is extremely short! It was doubtless so oft-quoted because it is very far-seeing and also because it is very Messianic. The person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ is presented lucidly throughout.

There is a mixture however; Zechariah prophesies about themes ranging from his own time unto the end of the world. Yet, as with much of prophetic Scripture, because of divine sagacity and God's choosing what to relate, even the historic content has a timeless nature. You know what they say, "history repeats itself;" this is never truer than when God is the historian. Ultimately, with Zechariah's nearer prophecies ringing true, it cultivates faith in his more distant ones.

Without further ado, let's get started by reviewing the beginning of the book, which is comprised of the first six verses...

II. Chapter 1:1-6: The Prologue

(The Needed Kingdom)

|1| In the eighth month, in [the] second year of Darius, the word of Hashem was to Zechariah the prophet, son of Berekiah, son of Iddo, saying,

Notes:

*Zechariah means something like, "Hashem remembers." Berekiah means something like, "Hashem blesses." Iddo is a bit more complex. Many either translate it as "the appointed time," or, "his witness." The name is very short, being mainly comprised of a particle that normally means "witness," "forever," or, "as far as." Because of the very important moment in dream four when the Angel of Hashem bears witness to Joshua (3:6), I lean towards "his witness."

*This is not the Darius of the lion's den. He was a Mede. This Darius was a Persian.

*Jerry Thrower, a rather obscure preacher from Florida, once relayed an interesting observation concerning Zechariah. There were four men mentioned as helping build the Temple in Ezra 5:1-2. One was Zechariah, who like John's Gospel, spoke of heavenly things. Another was Zerubbabel, who like Matthew's Gospel, was bound up with Davidic kingship. Another was Haggai who, like Mark's Gospel, relayed a terse, original proclamation dealing with godly service. The other was Joshua the high priest; Luke of course was the Gospel that focused on the priestly aspect of the Lord Jesus Christ, especially in his more original beginning and ending.

*His prophetic calling is deliberate and real. The perfect verb, translated "came," denotes actual special revelation. He didn't make it up through self-deceit or hodgepodge spiritism. These are the days when everyone wants to be Paul, creating new dogmas.

When you intentionally put forth a doctrine (or a date) that's reasonably found nowhere in the Scriptures, you are no longer merely a prophetic commentator: you are now claiming to be a prophet. This is like Harold Camping claiming the world was to end a few years ago or Jonathan Cahn claiming Wall Street was going to crash on September 14, 2015. Despite quiet disclaimers or slight Biblical semblances (such as the 7-year Sabbath cycle), these things are outside of Scripture and are therefore fully faux-prophetic.

|2| Hashem was wroth against your fathers [with] wrath!

Notes:

*In Hebrew the verb "to be angry/wroth" is practically identical with the noun, "wrath/anger." Obviously I've tried to reconstruct that in English. Contrast this to dream four, where "the Adversary" is seen on Joshua's right "to act as his adversary."

*This prophecy is directly in the shadow of the Babylonian captivity, yet Zechariah didn't blush to mention what had happened. Today if you point out God's responsibility in a recent calamity you will be hated and reviled, even by conservative Christians. Although God's judgment is general for the most part and we shouldn't claim to know all he is doing specifically, yet all grief is the result of sin one way or another. We shouldn't blush to affirm that God judges the world.

|3| And you say to them, Thus said Hashem of Hosts: Return to me, a declaration of Hashem of Hosts, And I will return to you, said Hashem of Hosts.

Notes:

*The Hebrew term meaning "return" can be taken to mean "repent." Here Zechariah is told to preach repentance. This was all he was told to preach for a few months before the dreams were given. This is reminiscent of the Gospels where the heavenly teaching of the Lord Jesus began with the simple repentance preached by John.

*This is the first use of the title, "Hashem of Hosts." It is used constantly by Zechariah. God related titles that were applicable given the circumstances (cf. Exodus 6:3). A host is like an army, but can be extended to include any massive group like the stars, etc. Zechariah needed to understand that God was in control of the seeming chaos and was stronger than Medo-Persia.

*This verse relates a vital doctrine found in many passages throughout the Bible. For example, Wisdom says...

Turn to my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. \-- Proverbs 1:23

Moreover, God apparently cites this verse later [about a century after Zechariah wrote it] in the book of Malachi...

"From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept [them]. Return to Me, and I will return to you," says the LORD of hosts. "But you say, 'How shall we return?'" -- 3:7

|4| Do not be like your fathers, [to] whom the former prophets called out to them, saying, Thus said Hashem of Hosts: Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds! Yet they did not listen and they did not pay attention to me, a declaration of Hashem.

Notes:

*God was not angry at idolatry here, but rather slothful work. God often rebukes to coach, and never to nit-pick. No top athlete hires a coach who will just smile coyly and compliment them on their hair-do. The athlete wants to be pushed to the next level, as should we all. The way to truly overcome the depression and anxiety and temptations of this age can only be found in the upward calling of the Almighty. The listeners who paid attention to this hard word were rewarded with the eight sublime, encouraging dreams.

*The Lord here also highlights one of the biggest problems in the world: people do not pay attention to him, just as the hard soil in the parable that the Lord Jesus related concerning the sower of seed. The Psalmist echoes this thought...

...And not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not prepare its heart and whose spirit was not faithful to God. \-- Psalm 78:8

When our phone pings we'll quickly want to see what's the message; yet where is the same eagerness for God's communication?

|5| Your fathers, where [are] they? And the prophets, do they live forever?

Notes:

*Where are they? Well they are either forgotten, misunderstood, misrepresented, or scorned. So many chase fame and yet so few "greats" are remembered; and even those that are remembered generally become examples of how not to be or how faulty this or that idea was. Without a doubt, Biblical authors have had the greatest shelf-life. Therefore, the closer we get to the Scripture, we too can be fondly remembered and hoped upon.

*This whole scene is told again in reverse with the concluding passage in chapter 6 (which serves as an epilogue to the eight dreams). In that section a group of men bring a silver and gold offering which was to remain as a memorial of the Messiah. The gifts of these repentant exiles endured, even though the previous fathers perished. Perhaps all this is foreshadowed as well in Zechariah 3:5 where the prophet proverbially sings the first rendition of crown him with many crowns.

*The greatness of the Lord Jesus is also called to mind here...

Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we have known that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets, and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word, he shall by no means taste of death into the age! [fig., he shall never ever taste of death!]' You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died, are You? And the prophets died. Whom are You making Yourself [out to be]?"...Jesus said to them, "Most positively, I say to you*, before Abraham came to be, I Am!" [cp. Exod 3:14] -- John 8:52-53, 58

|6| Howbeit, my words and my statutes that I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? And they turned back and said, As Hashem of Hosts planned [or, "purposed"] to do to us according to our ways and according to our deeds, so he has dealt with us.

Notes:

*Amos said something similar...

All the sinners of My people will die by the sword, those who say, "The calamity will not overtake or confront us." -- 9:10

Few of us take death as seriously as we should. Although we would deny it with our minds, our hearts often harbour a secret belief that death will never come. The fathers could repent in Babylon, yet there is no repentance in death.

Now is the day of salvation. Now is the time to call upon the Lord Jesus Christ in repentance and faith, thereby receiving the complete forgiveness of sins and the irrevocable gaining of his righteousness.

III. Chapter 1:7-17: Zechariah's First Dream

(The Kingdom Mourned: The Man among Myrtles)

I will introduce the dreams (and the epilogue) by giving the descriptions that William MacDonald and John MacArthur offer.

William MacDonald: God is displeased with the Gentiles who are at rest while His people suffer. He will punish the nations and restore His people.3

John MacArthur: Vision 1 -- Man among the myrtle trees (Zech. 1:7–17), God promises prosperity to Israel.4

|7| On [the] twenty-fourth day of [the] eleventh month (it [is] the month of Shebat), in [the] second year of Darius, the word of Hashem was to Zechariah the prophet, son of Berekiah, son of Iddo, saying,

Notes:

*Three months after his first prophecy he had these 8 dreams. Zechariah was proven faithful to his first, simple word.

*According to Haggai 2:18, the Temple was (re)founded on the 24th of the 9th month (it was originally founded much earlier but then left forlorn because of pressure). The building had been going on again for two months before all this goodness rained down from heaven.

*The teachings of repentance and the Law were blessed (cf. Matthew 5:18-19). Many preachers think avoiding such ideas are helpful. Yet I'm sure cancer treatment will only be espoused if the person understands the danger of the cancer. Accepting the Gospel means becoming the world's fool. Who will espouse this unless they understand the serious nature of sin?

|8| I saw [in] the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse; and he [was] standing among the myrtle shrubs that [were] in the ravine; and behind him [were] red, bay [James Strong: "bright red;" Feyerabend: "red/fox-coloured"], and white horses.

Notes:

*The term translated "ravine" is very similar to the words for the deep and to sink/be submerged, and perhaps evokes the Sea of Reeds (see Psalm 68:22, Nehemiah 9:11, and Zechariah 10:11). The word translated "ravine" also could indicate a shadowy place [i.e., "to be/grow dark"], evoking Gethsemane.

*It's a bid odd that the Angel was standing and sitting on the horse at the same time, leading some commentators to see more than one angel. Yet the verb "to stand" is extremely common in Hebrew and thus has a vast range. According to Brown-Driver-Briggs [BDB] it can sometimes mean "presenting oneself/remaining/making a stand/being upright." The idea is probably that he was stationary and sitting upright on the horse. Either that or simply he dismounted. Moreover, "standing" is an important posture in Zechariah 3 (i.e., in dream four), as we will see.

*The events in the book of Esther came to pass after Zechariah's prophecies. According to John MacArthur those events took place around 483-473 B.C. The book however is interestingly prefigured at times, such as with Joshua/Mordecai and Satan/Haman in chapter 3—the idea of attending courtiers which perhaps number seven (Zechariah 3-4/Esther 1); and here, with the term "myrtle," which was the meaning of Esther's Jewish name.

*The myrtle was also connected to Sukkot (cf. Nehemiah 8:15). Perhaps the motif also is reminiscent of Eden and also of the burning bush.

*Kimchi relates a traditional Jewish interpretation:

This man is no other than the Holy One...for...'The Lord is a man of war.'5

*This scene should certainly remind the Christian of the Garden of Gethsemane. There the Lord began to forensically take our sins upon himself, with James, John, and Peter nearby. Here Zechariah sees the Angel of Hashem (the pre-incarnate Christ; see Genesis 16, Exodus 3, Judges 6 and 13, etc.) with white, red, and "bay" horses nearby. The Lord was strengthened by an angel in the garden, as he was answered here in the ravine with good words (see verse 13).

*The fully denotative import of this verse however was the fact that God was actively seeking to bring in the judgment of the nations and the blessing of Israel. The conquering empires had cavalry scouts, yet the Lord Jesus was the Calvary scout. His activity would bring salvation history to its climax.

*The Lord is sometimes pictured on a horse, as in Psalm 45 and in Revelation 19. He is the hero of his people, their chivalrous conqueror and rescuer.

*Comparing these horses with the book of Revelation (chapters 6 and 19), red probably signifies blood and warfare; white probably symbolizes victory and conquering. The other colour isn't found in Revelation. It is often translated sorrel or bay (a bay horse is approximately the colour of brewed tea). Based upon the root it appears to be technically just another shade of red. An alternate form from the root means "a superior kind of vine producing red wine" (Feyerabend) [cf. Genesis 49:11, Isaiah 5:2, Jeremiah 2:21; this was also the name of the place where Delilah was from]. There were probably red and white horses, with two shades of red.

*Zechariah is notorious for skipping over non-essential details, so what he does say is important. The red and white signify a major theme of the book and of salvation history in general: exultation through humiliation, righteousness after suffering. On an explanatory footnote, some of the things that Zechariah skips over are as follows... Are there riders on these horses? Are the horns in dream two attached to animals? Who clothed Joshua in dream-four? Who were Joshua's companions in dream four?

*I'm sure you're beginning to notice the centrality of dream four. This shouldn't be surprising, for dream four signifies the cross and resurrection of Christ.

|9| And I said, What [are] these, my lord? And he said to me, the angel speaking with me: I -- I will show you what they [are] -- these [ones].

Notes:

*Many of the older commentators speculate that the interpretative angel is a picture of the Holy Spirit (this could be accentuated by rendering "speaking with me" as "speaking in me," which would be completely valid based upon the Hebrew). Of course the Holy Spirit has no physical being, so it is only a symbol. This is a rather interesting concept, especially given the similar interpretative angel in Revelation. Look at the introduction to Revelation, swapping "angel" for "Spirit"...

[The] revelation of [or, disclosure from] Jesus Christ, which God gave to Him to show to His slaves what [things are] necessary to occur with quickness. And He made [it] known, having sent through His [Spirit] to His slave John. -- verses 1

Yet the text actually reads "angel." This would speak of the dignity of God's service, and perhaps can be further seen with the angels of God's presence being synonymous with the Holy Spirit in Revelation 1-5. If this concept is correct, then the present verse and the next verse constitute the apex of the conversation. For in this verse the angel (the Holy Spirit) says he will explain something and then in the next verse the Angel of Hashem (the divine Son) answers, thus underscoring the equality within the Godhead.

|10| And he answered -- the man standing among the myrtle shrubs -- and said, These [are those] whom Hashem has sent to patrol throughout the earth.

|11| And they answered the Angel of Hashem -- the one standing among the myrtle shrubs -- and said, We have patrolled throughout the earth, and behold, the whole of the earth [is] sitting [still] and being at peace.

Notes:

*This is a very rich scene with many different hues associated with it. The horsemen (which never come clearly into view) have patrolled the earth and are reporting back to the Angel of Hashem. Primarily we must view this as a situation report concerning God's salvific kingdom. Ever since the fall in Eden the Almighty has promised redemption, and the faithful have been awaiting it. For example, in Acts 1 the disciples asked the Lord Jesus if the Kingdom of God was now being restored to Israel. This lingering question would come to be known as the "delayed Parousia," as the believers in Jesus learned that they would have to wait for a distant Second Advent.

The Jews who returned from Babylon also had a "delayed Parousia" moment. They expected much more than they got (read Isaiah 40-66 for example). Instead of the Kingdom coming, a barely-surviving vassal state was teetering on the edge. Haggai would even say that the nations were to be shaken, to include the very heavens; instead nothing at all seemed to be taking place, apart from death and taxes.

*Another way to view this scene is to look at it deeper prophetically. Peace, safety, then total destruction, is a prophetic sentiment made famous by Paul. Perhaps there is a false peace here, perhaps a false Messianic Age (cf. Isaiah 14:7). The stillness may have its match in Revelation 7. Either way, the Lord was not interested in a complacent Israel or in complacent gentiles, but rather wants purposeful activity.

*Stonard produced a memorable quote about this passage:

...The office of the angelic host, as may be collected from their own words, compared with those of their divine captain, was to inspect and make report on the state of human affairs, to regulate and control them with a special regard to the safety and progressive welfare of God's people, and to effect the decline and final overthrow of the nations, which should in succession shake the sceptre over them.6

It is very clear that the Angel of Hashem is the head of this host, just as the disciples reported to the Lord Jesus and Abraham's servant reported to Isaac; and just as the destroyers in Ezekiel 9 reported to the Glory of Hashem.

|12| And the Angel of Hashem answered and said, [O] Hashem of Hosts, until when will you -- you not have compassion [on] Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, [with] which you have been indignant these [literally, "this"] seventy years?

Notes:

*The 70 years was probably a roundish number, based on the prophecy of Jeremiah that Judah would be held captive by Babylon for 70 years. The two ways to render these dates more precisely are computed as follows...

From 606 BC (2 Ki 24:1) to 536 BC (the year of Cyrus' decree to rebuild the Temple), the predicted exile had run its course. -- Feinberg7

Or as John Gill:

From...the destruction of the temple under Zedekiah, to the rebuilding of the temple under Darius Hystaspis, in whose 2nd year Zechariah now prophesied.

*Here in this verse is a great example of the intercession of Christ. As mentioned above, the supplication is according to Jeremiah's earlier word of 70 years (cf. Jeremiah 25:11, 29:10); and in Daniel 9 the old prophet prayed similarly. Thus all God's servants should pray in his will, according to his Word (cf. 1 John 5:14).

*The Second Person knew the epochs, but still supplicated for the actual fulfilment. We perhaps see here the same intentional "unknowing" submissiveness of the Divine Son (cf. Mark 13:32).

*Here Jerusalem is supplicated for. In Zechariah 3:2 (dream four) Joshua is equated to Jerusalem. Thus if Joshua is metaphoric for Jesus Christ, the theme of his praying in the Garden of Gethsemane over his substitutionary sacrifice for the heavenly city is being brought to the fore.

*Being cast out of the land was synonymous with God being "indignant." This highlights the doctrine of Hell (cf. Matthew 8:12). Those who haven't placed their trust solely in the Lord Jesus will be cast into the outer darkness, forever bearing the divine wrath.

|13| And Hashem answered the angel speaking with me [with] good words, comforting words.

Notes:

*Did God still love the Jews after the captivity? Yes. Does God still love the Jews today? Yes. Will God still love the Jews tomorrow? Yes. Even if some among them actively despise Christianity? Yes. Why? Because he wants to.

On the one hand according to the Gospel [they are] enemies on your* account, on the other hand according to His choice [or, election] [they are] beloved on account of the fathers. -- Romans 11:28

And the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, "Have you not observed what this people have spoken, saying, 'The two families which the LORD chose, He has rejected them'? Thus they despise My people, no longer are they as a nation in their sight. Thus says the LORD, 'If My covenant [for] day and night [stand] not, [and] the fixed patterns of heaven and earth I have not established, then I would reject the descendants of Jacob...'" \-- Jeremiah 33:23-26

If God sought their blessing after the first major Diaspora, is it amazing that he still seeks them after another Diaspora? Would it not be rather odd if he changed his ways? I mention this because the whole of Zechariah's prophecy is useless if the "church" has replaced the Jews. Many of those who hail to replacement theology try to say that all the good things promised to Abraham were fulfilled in Solomon; yet what do these people think about passages like this from Zechariah, which came much later than Solomon? God's patience after the first Diaspora makes replacement theology complete nonsense.

*As mentioned above, the fact that good words were spoken to the Intercessor is as the Lord Jesus being strengthened in the midst of the olives of Gethsemane...

...He began praying, saying, "Father! If You are willing to take this cup away from Me -- nevertheless, not My will, but Yours be done." Then an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. -- Luke 22:41-43

The antithesis is Satan in Zechariah 3 and the Assyrian harangue aimed at Hezekiah.

|14| And the angel speaking with me said to me, Proclaim, saying, Thus said Hashem of Hosts: I have been jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion [with] a great jealousy!

Notes:

*Great jealousy now replaces great wrath. The prodigal son hoped for the absence of wrath and for at least a steely indifference. He received an unexpected reception of love and compassion that took his breath away.

|15| And I [am] wroth [with] great wrath against the nations at ease; [in] that I -- I was wroth a little [probably, "a little while"], then they -- they assisted unto [greater] evil.

Notes:

*There are two major views as to what this verse means. Some think that God gave Israel over to be punished by imperial powers, yet these empires went too far in their harsh treatment. Others believe that it is rather referring to time. The punishment was supposed to last 70 years. That period had come and gone, yet the people were still being mistreated. I lean towards the latter interpretation. Stonard has a great quote highlighting this idea:

For although Cyrus sent home the Jews with their sacred vessels, with strong words of exhortation, and with many kind acts of encouragement to rebuild their city and temple, yet the execution of his favourable decree was afterwards, by the malicious and artful misrepresentations of the Samaritans and by their intrigues and briberies with the Persian governors and at the Persian court, retarded and even brought to a stand.8

*Liberal politicians in the West constantly scoff at the State of Israel. It's a strange bit of contradiction when you think about it. Nowhere in the Middle East is progressive liberalism embraced except in Israel, yet progressive liberals love the Muslim states, and hate Israel. This weird, directionless hypocrisy is a hallmark of today's left-wing.

*No matter how faulty Israel is, God will severely punish those who afflict her (Genesis 12:1-3). The great switch from God being angry at Israel and then that anger being quickly diverted to the nations is first seen in the prophetic Song of Moses (cf. Deuteronomy 32:36-43). The exact language is evoked again in Daniel 12:7, and is consummated in Revelation 10.

Yet for now Israel still cries...

Be gracious to us, O LORD, be gracious to us, for we are greatly filled with contempt. Our soul is greatly filled with the scoffing of those who are at ease, [and] with the contempt of the proud. -- Psalm 123:3-4

|16| Therefore thus said Hashem: I have returned to Jerusalem with compassion; my house will be built in it -- a declaration of Hashem of Hosts -- and a [measuring] line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.

Notes:

*Israel will rebuild a house in the end days (Revelation 11; 2 Thessalonians 2), but it will not truly please God, and will provoke needless ire. I can only imagine the seething hatred the animal rights activists will have for these new priests. These priests should wait for the Messiah to return first.

|17| Proclaim again, saying, Thus said Hashem of Hosts: My cities will again overflow [or, "scatter [abroad]"] from goodness, and Hashem will again comfort Zion, and on Jerusalem he will again select.

Notes:

*The promise of redemption is evidently still on the heart of God here, which would have been a sigh of relief to these exiles. They were waiting for Eden to be restored, and here is an assurance that the Lord was still planning on bringing this blessing to fruition.

Indeed, the LORD will comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places. And her wilderness He will make like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and sound of a melody. -- Isaiah 51:3

Yet in the very next few verses Isaiah details what must happen first. The Arm of Hashem, the Messiah, can alone bring this blessing about...

Pay attention to Me, O My people, and give ear to Me, O My nation; for a law will go forth from Me, and I will set [NASB footnote: lit cause to rest] My justice for a light of the peoples. My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, and My arms will judge the peoples; the coastlands will wait for Me, and for My arm they will wait expectantly. -- 51:4-5

Israel needs her Arm, her Joshua-Zerubbabel, her Melchizedek—the Lord Jesus Christ.

IV. Chapter 1:18-21: Zechariah's Second Dream

(The Kingdom in Judgment: The Four Horns)

William MacDonald: Destruction of four Gentile world empires.3

John MacArthur: Vision 2 -- Four horns and four craftsmen (1:18–21), God judges the nations who attacked Israel.4

So reviewing, God first warned the people that they needed to repent and to not be like their fathers. Then he gave Zechariah the first dream about the Angel of Hashem who was supplicating for Israel in a ravine. This had a semblance to Passover, where Israel passed through the deep to escape from Egypt. It also foreshadowed her Messiah who would supplicate among a garden of olives before his arrest. The major point to the dream however was that God was still for Israel and thus was about to act.

Now we come to our first "semi-detached" vision. This dream flows directly into the next one, even to the extent that dreams two and three form one unit, being a direct answer to the prayer of the Angel.

Also we can begin to surmise a menorah structure. First we had a prologue that will match the epilogue in chapter 6.

The first dream will match the last dream (the first dream had warhorses, the last will have war chariots).

Dreams two and three will match dreams five and six, as the restoration of Israel is in view. Dreams five and six are very closely joined as well (i.e., "semi-detached"), just like two and three.

The dreams of Zechariah are very symmetrical. The thematic outline probably seems confusing at this point, which is why I'll keep repeating myself as we go along. Here's how the scheme works out in a more chart-like format...

A. Call to repentance: Prologue (1:1-6) + Epilogue (6:9-15)

B. Cavalry judgements called down: Dream 1 (1:7-17) + Dream 8 (6:1-8)

C. Israel restored: Dreams 2-3 (1:18-2:13; in Hebrew this is all numbered as chapter 2, which makes more sense) + Dreams 6-7 (5:1-11)

D. The Messiah described (who, by the way; is also the Word [A], the Captain [B], and the Carpenter [C]): Dream 4 (3:1-10) + Dream 5 (4:1-15)

The dreams form a giant, literary menorah, with the affecting Messiah as the centre-lamp!

|18| [2:1 in Hebrew] And I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold -- four horns!

Notes:

*Zechariah was a priest, and there are priestly hues throughout these dreams. Although it seems that these horns are actually attached to animals (as a forthcoming verse demonstrates), four horns also remind us of the altars found in the Tabernacle of Moses and the Temple of Solomon. There were two altars at these places. One was the golden altar inside, and the other was the brazen altar outside. Both the inner and outer altars had four horns coming out of the top. There is never an explanation as to why, but it's clear in the Bible (and nature) that horns normally signify power and majesty.

A sacrificed animal would often have its blood placed on the horns of the outer altar and also on the altar's four sides. Perhaps this signified that the blood of the victim was proclaiming God's righteousness on Earth (the sides facing the four directions) and in heaven (the horns extending up). Furthering this view would be that the inner altar, signifying the place before God's heavenly throne, never had blood placed on its sides. It was only placed on its horns at Yom Kippur.

*In context, these horns are probably best seen as the kings of the gentile world powers in Daniel 2 and 7 (see also Daniel 10 for how the spiritual element of ruling angels ties in). God incited imperial kings to afflict his people. One day the tables will turn...

Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion, for your horn I will make iron and your hoofs I will make bronze, that you may pulverize many peoples, that you may devote to the LORD their unjust gain and their wealth to the Lord of all the earth. -- Micah 4:13 [Cf. also Micah 5:7-9; Zechariah 9:13-17]

I will not get into it much in this commentary because it pertains to section two of Zechariah; yet I think there will be an interesting parallelism that comes into focus in the latter half of the tribulation period. A physical military in Israel, like the Maccabees, will think to be God's blessed servants. In reality his real servants were the spiritual warriors, the 144,000 evangelists from Revelation 7. The realization of God's shunning their physical prowess will ultimately be understood when the Spirit of grace and supplications is poured out upon them (cf. chapter 12).

|19| And I said to the angel speaking with me, What [are] these? And he said to me, These [are] the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.

|20| Then Hashem showed me four craftsmen.

Notes:

*The term "craftsmen" is interpreted in various ways by translators to represent workmen and fabricators. The verbal root means "to cut in/plough/engrave/devise." It is broad enough to encompass the earthly occupation of Jesus Christ as "carpenter." The KJV translates it "carpenter" here.

*There are two types of construction workers: those who build up and those who tear down. God's right arm is his people (whose head is the Messiah) sent to bless the world, while his left are the pernicious powers sent to wreak havoc. Barnes cites such a positive definition from Jerome...

...Those who destroy vices, build up virtues, and all the saints who, possessing these remedies, ever build up the Church, may be called 'builders.' Whence the Apostle says, "I, as a wise builder, laid the foundation" [1 Corinthians 3:10]; and the Lord, when wroth, said that He would "take away from Jerusalem artificer and wise man" [Isaiah 3:3]. And the Lord Himself, Son of the Almighty God and of the Creator of all, is called "the son of the carpenter" [Matthew 13:55]...9

Obviously the negative workmen are in view here.

|21| And I said, What [are] these coming in to do? And he spoke, saying, These [are] the horns that have scattered Judah; according to [the] mouth of [each] man, he lifted not his head; and these have come in to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations, the ones lifting up a horn against the land of Judah, to scatter it.

Notes:

*"According to [the] mouth" is my attempt to be hyper-literal, yet the word "mouth" is sometimes used in an idiomatic sense. The statement simply means that no one was able to successfully escape or rebel against the judgment of the craftsmen, not even verbally. The destructions come and discomfit all the citizenry.

*The fact that there are four craftsmen is often taken by commentators to highlight the succession of powers. I.e., horn 1 (Babylon) was overthrown by craftsman 1 (Medo-Persia). Horn 2 (Medo-Persia) was then overthrown by craftsman 2 (Greece/Macedonia). Horn 3 (Greece/Macedonia) was then overthrown by craftsman 3 (Rome). Horn 4 (Rome/Europe) will fully be overthrown one day by the Carpenter from Galilee.

*Note that none of the horns had yet opened a mouth. According to Daniel 7, the Antichrist will be a little horn with a big mouth against the Messiah.

*A very key term is translated "to terrify." This highlights the fact that the horns were probably attached to animals. Wendell Stokes, a contemporary preacher who did a memorable series on Zechariah, told of his experience with farming at this point. Growing up, whenever his family acquired cattle that had horns they would cut them off, so that it would not act aggressively against the other cattle. He said that before the process occurred the horned animal would be the dominate one at the trough, and afterwards it would slink to the lowest place.

*The believer has God's assurance that just like Israel, he proverbially provides craftsmen to overcome our enemies...

"If anyone fiercely assails [you] it will not be from Me. Whoever assails you will fall because of you. Behold, I Myself have created the smith [same word as "craftsman"] who blows the fire of coals and brings out a weapon for its work; and I have created the destroyer to ruin. No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me," declares the LORD. -- Isaiah 54:15-17

And again:

And all [the] horns of [the] wicked I will cut off. [The] horns of [the] righteous will be lifted up. -- Psalm 75:10 [Lexham English Bible (LEB)]

V. Chapter 2:1-13: Zechariah's Third Dream

(The Kingdom's Prosperity: The Man with the Measuring Cord)

William MacDonald: Future prosperity, populousness, and security of Jerusalem.3

John MacArthur: Vision 3 -- Man with a measuring line (2:1–13), God rebuilds Jerusalem.4

God first visited Zechariah and told the people to repent. Next he gave the prophet a vision by night, and he saw the Angel of Hashem supplicating. In the following vision, the supplication began to be worked out, as craftsmen were called for in order to cast down all imperial powers. The last craftsman will probably be the Second Person himself. Now the flip side of the supplication-answer is seen. In the last dream the nations were cast down; in this one Israel is given assurance that she will be built up.

|1| [2:5 in Hebrew] And I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, a man, and in his hand [was] a measuring cord [literally, "a cord of measurement"].

Notes:

*David Kimchi said...

It is certain that this vision is of the future, referring to the days of the Messiah, as the visions of Ezekiel, in which he saw the angel measuring Jerusalem in its length and breadth.10

*This man is perhaps not the Second Person of the Godhead but certainly reminds us of him, for the one who measures in Ezekiel 40 is clearly the Messiah. Hashem is pictured throughout the book of Ezekiel as a glowing, metallic man. In Ezekiel 40 a metallic man (minus the glow) measures the Temple. The implication is that the man is the same as Hashem, only that the fire of his wrath has been quenched, thus the Temple can be rebuilt. Israel shouldn't bother to rebuild until they deal with God's anger forensically.

|2| And I said, Where [are] you going? And he said to me, To measure Jerusalem; to see what [it is] according to its width and what [it is] according to its length.

|3| And behold, the angel speaking with me [is] going forth, and another angel [is] going forth to meet him.

|4| And he said to him, Run, speak to this lad, saying, Without walls [more literally, "open country"] Jerusalem will be inhabited, because of [the] multitude of man and beast in its midst.

Notes:

*There are two cities called Jerusalem prophetically. One is the heavenly city where the saints will eventually dwell for eternity (cf. Revelation 21-22; Galatians 4:26). The other is the Jerusalem on Earth, which will be blessed beyond anything it has ever known. There are a legion of passages describing this future blessing, which is a deathblow to amillennialism. Sometimes dimensions/geographic descriptions are given for the city, as in Zechariah 14:10 and Jeremiah 31:38-40. This gives us proof that a literal city is being discussed...

"Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when the city will be rebuilt for the LORD from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. The measuring line will go out farther straight ahead to the hill Gareb; then it will turn to Goah. And the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be holy to the LORD; it will not be plucked up or overthrown anymore forever." -- Jeremiah 31:38-40

This obviously wasn't fulfilled in the days of the Maccabees or the Herods or at any other time, for all previous restorations and expansions have been plucked up.

But as with our quote here in Zechariah, other passages speak of Jerusalem having no borders. This is because it will be such an overwhelmingly popular place to be. In the days of Nehemiah no one wanted to live there, and you were considered a noble person if you volunteered to live there and undergo such a dangerous ignominy. In the future it will literally overflow with eager citizens, and all will be welcomed. For it is prophesied concerning Zion...

For your waste and desolate places and your destroyed land \-- Surely now you will be too cramped for the inhabitants, and those who swallowed you will be far away. The children of whom you were bereaved will yet say in your ears, "The place is too cramped for me; make room for me that I may live [here]." -- Isaiah 49:19-20

*The fact that the Jerusalem being discussed is without walls goes to further demonstrate that the Messianic Age is in view, for it was a reproach for an important city in the ancient world to be unfortified. This is what the book of Nehemiah is all about.

*The "another angel" mentioned in the verse most certainly is the Angel of Hashem. John Gill agrees with me here, and he even goes as far as to say that the angel is the same as the man with the measuring line, which I suppose is both possible and reasonable. The appearance of Christ in a text is not always trumpeted (cf. Revelation 8:3 and 18:1, where the Lord is signified as "another angel/messenger").

|5| And I -- I will be to it -- a declaration of Hashem -- a wall of fire round about, and for glory I will be in its midst.

Notes:

*Stonard said:

The words plainly contain an allusion to the pillar of cloud and fiery radiance, which in the journies of the Israelites abode over the tabernacle in the midst of the congregation, and also to the token of the divine presence in the Holy of Holies.11

|6| Woe! Woe! -- Then [more literally, "And"] flee from a land of [the] north, a declaration of Hashem; for like [or, "according to"] the four winds of the heavens I have scattered you, a declaration of Hashem.

|7| Woe, Zion! Escape, [O one] dwelling [with] the daughter of Babylon!

Notes:

*Feinberg said:

The reasons they were to flee from Babylon were: (1) because God had set before them the promises of His sure blessing in their own land; (2) because of the calamity about to fall on Babylon (vs. 7-9). Darius, whose conquering armies would make no difference between Jew and Babylonian, was soon to defeat Babylon and bring it low...It is in point here to ask whether any judgments were carried out at that time against Babylon. On the rock of Behistun at the border of Persia is the record of the two great rebellions of Babylon and of its seizure twice, once by Darius himself and then by his general, Intaphres.12

*The words "woe, woe" [or "alas, alas,"] are the first two occurrences of the term in this section. The third comes in the next verse. It's very, very interesting that three "woes" play a big part in the book of Revelation as well. The interval between woe two and three seems to usher in the finale of this age (Revelation 11:13-15), when a beleaguered Israel will be fully redeemed from her oppressors.

*This verse, with its reference to the four winds, speaks of the first Diaspora very broadly. Indeed, around this time some Jews had been taken captive by other lands (cf. 2 Chronicles 28:17) and some had wandered to the south because of the wars (Jeremiah 43). Yet this also largely signifies the latter Diasporas as well, for the words of the prophet won't fully come to pass until Israel is brought back more spectacularly and permanently...

Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! Declare with the sound of joyful shouting, proclaim this, send it out to the end of the earth; say, "The LORD has redeemed His servant Jacob." -- Isaiah 48:20

*Revelation mentions fleeing from Babylon as well in regards to the end times...

After these [things] I saw another angel coming down out of heaven, having great authority, and the earth was lit up from his glory [or, splendor]. And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, "Fallen [is] Babylon the great! And she became a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean [or, defiling] spirit and a prison of every unclean and having been detested bird. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her sexual sin, and the kings of the earth committed sexual sin with her, and the merchants of the earth became rich from the power [fig., wealth] of her luxury." And I heard another voice out of heaven, saying, "Come out from her, my people, so that you* shall not participate in her sins, and so that you* shall not receive of her plagues." -- 18:1-4

The Beast will have a headquarters and many (such as Tim LaHaye and John Whitcomb) think it will be in the vicinity of the original Babylon. Given that the beastly Antichrist will physically ransack Israel (cf. Zechariah 14), an actual captivity is possible. Yet obviously the general language of Revelation 18 also refers to the entire pagan, carnal culture of the Antichrist's reign in general.

|8| For thus said Hashem of Hosts: After glory he sent me against [or, "to"] the nations plundering you; indeed [or, "for"], the one striking at you [is] striking at the pupil of his eye.

Notes:

*Quoting Feinberg again...

We hold with others that the Lord is declaring that for the vindication and display of His glory (which is inseparably bound up with the fortunes of His people), He will send the Messiah, not the prophet, to visit the nations that have plundered His people...The one sent, mentioned in verses 8 and 9, must be the Messiah, from the character of the mission indicated and because of the power displayed in the deeds performed.13

*As Feinberg indicates, this verse begins a fountainhead of high language that couldn't possibly refer to anyone except the Messiah. There are examples of this phenomenon throughout the rest of this chapter, so I'll try to note them as they arise. In this verse Hashem declares that Hashem has "sent me." How can Hashem send Hashem, unless God is more than a singularity?

*The idea of the Messiah being sent to deliver captives from Babylon is seen in the counterpart chapter of Isaiah 48...

Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last. Surely My hand founded the earth, and My right hand spread out the heavens; when I call to them, they stand together. Assemble, all of you, and listen! Who among them has declared these things? The LORD loves him; he will carry out His good pleasure on Babylon, and His arm [will be against] the Chaldeans. I, even I, have spoken; indeed I have called him, I have brought him, and He will make his ways successful. Come near to Me, listen to this: From the first I have not spoken in secret, from the time it took place, I was there. And now the Lord GOD has sent Me, and His Spirit. -- verses 12-16

Try expounding that portion of Scripture apart from a divine Messiah, the Son and Word of God!

*The pupil of the eye is a beautiful metaphor. It obviously indicates the line of sight, preciousness, and that which is owing protection. Similar language is used in Deuteronomy 32:10 and Psalm 17:8.

|9| Indeed [or, "for"], behold me waving my hand over [or, "against"] them, and they will become plunder to their servants, and you will know that Hashem of Hosts has sent me.

Notes:

*This must refer to the Messiah, for only someone with divine authority could wave his hand and turn the tide of every captive.

*There is another parallel passage from Isaiah that sheds tremendous light on this verse from Zechariah and also on the doctrine of the Trinity...

Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations and set up My standard to the peoples; and they will bring your sons in [their] bosom, and your daughters will be carried on [their] shoulders. Kings will be your guardians, and their princesses your nurses. They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth and lick the dust of your feet; and [you] will know that I am the LORD; those who hopefully wait for Me will not be put to shame." -- 49:22-23

The Angel of Hashem says in Zechariah at the waiving of the hand and the spoiling, "You will know that Hashem of Hosts has sent me." Hashem says in Isaiah at the waiving of the hand and the spoiling, "And [you] will know that I am the LORD [the same as "Hashem"]." The doctrine of the Trinity alone makes sense of this parallelism. Also, Hashem says through Isaiah in closing the passage above, "Those who hopefully wait for Me will not be put to shame." And similar language is used when referring to the Messiah...

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone [for] the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes [in it] will not be disturbed [NASB footnote: Lit in a hurry]." \-- Isaiah 28:16

The fact that Isaiah 49:23 and 28:16 are so similar is even more apparent in the ancient Jewish Septuagint (cf. Paul's use of the Septuagint in Romans 9:33 [and 10:11], where 28:16 is apparently meant to reflect the language of 49:23).

|10| Sing and rejoice, [O] daughter of Zion; indeed [or, "for"], behold me entering, and I will dwell in your midst, a declaration of Hashem.

Notes:

*As beforementioned, the Angel of Hashem is speaking to Zechariah, and in so doing, removes the lid on the great mystery of the Godhead (but it is not the speaker that constitutes the proof as much as the internal contents of the declarations themselves). This Angel is clearly God (the Son having created this form for himself, thus making him the firstborn of creation; some, as Gill, calls him the uncreated Angel, but I do not think he eternally existed as an Angel; perhaps Gill does not mean this), being Christ Jesus before being born in Bethlehem. This verse furnishes more proof. The exact language used here is again employed later in Zechariah, once while referring to God, and the other to the Messiah...

Thus says the LORD, "I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts [will be called] the Holy Mountain." -- 8:3

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout [in triumph], O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation [NASB footnote: Or vindicated and victorious], humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey [NASB footnote: Lit son of a female donkey]. -- 9:9

The first passage has Hashem saying he will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem (see also 2:5 above). The next passage tells Zion (synonymous with Jerusalem) to rejoice at the coming of the Messiah. The Angel of Hashem in our verse says, "Sing and rejoice, [O] daughter of Zion; indeed [or, "for"], behold me entering, and I will dwell in your midst." The conclusion is inescapable.

Also, a few verses later in Zechariah 9, more about the humility and salvation of the Messiah is relayed...

[As for] you also, because of the blood of your covenant, I will release your prisoners from the waterless pit. -- verse 11 (LEB)

There is no way to understand all this apart from the biography of Jesus Christ...

And they brought the colt to Jesus. And they placed their garments on it, and He sat on it. Then many spread their coats in the road, but others were cutting down leafy branches from the trees and were spreading [them] in the road...And Jesus entered into Jerusalem... -- Mark 11:7-8, 11 [It's worth looking at one of the rare occurrences of the word related to "bay" at this point: "The scepter shall not depart from Judah...until Shiloh comes, and to him [shall be] the obedience of the peoples...He ties [NASB footnote: Lit Binding of] [his] foal to the vine, and his donkey's colt to the choice vine..." (Genesis 49:10-11).]

And in the same manner [He took] the cup after [they] ate, saying, "This cup [is] the New Covenant in My blood, the [blood] being poured out on your* behalf." -- Luke 22:20

|11| And many nations will join themselves to Hashem on that day, and they will be to me for a people, and I will dwell in your midst; and you will know that Hashem of Hosts has sent me to you.

Notes:

*Here is more proof that there is more than one Hashem. Gentiles will be joined to Hashem and will be to this speaker for a people; yet this speaking Hashem is also sent of Hashem. Only Hashem, the One True God, is Biblically spoken of as having a people joined unto him righteously. The speaker also repeats that he "will dwell in your midst."

Yet there can't be two gods known as Hashem, for it is said later in Zechariah...

And Yahweh will be king over all the earth; on that day Yahweh will be one and his name one. -- 14:9 (LEB)

So Hashem (the same as "Yahweh" or "Jehovah") is one, yet as in our verse, there are actually more than one of him. The Christian doctrine of the Triune God (i.e. one God in three persons) alone makes sense of this.

*Stonard really hits the nail on the head when he compares this verse from Zechariah with Exodus 29:45-46...

I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will be their God. They shall know that I am the LORD their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them; I am the LORD their God.

Also note how in Exodus this redemption and dwelling happens so people might "know that I am the LORD their God;" and in Zechariah the same happens so that people might "know that Hashem of Hosts has sent me to you." Thus, understanding the Messiah is tantamount to knowing God the Father (John 14:8-11).

|12| And Hashem will inherit Judah, his portion on the land of the holiness [or, "the holy land"]; and on Jerusalem he will again select.

Notes:

*"The Holy Land" is a term that is used a lot these days to refer to Israel. This is the only mention of it in the Bible (as far as I am aware). Israel is certainly the Holy Land, as the feet of the Saviour trod upon it for over thirty years, and it has been the birth and burial place of countless heroes and heroines of the everlasting faith. Yet it is also the Holy Land because of location. It sits at the middle of the world, between East and West, and among several major continents. God did this to make Israel the mission outpost to the world, but is the nation living up to its calling? How can it be, when Israel is without a poignant spiritual message? ("Everybody is okay" is not a message.)

|13| Be silent, all flesh, at the face of [or, "from before," or, "by reason of"] Hashem; for he has been roused from the habitation of his holiness.

Notes:

*Why did Satan rebel? I mean, why did he think he could get away with it? Well, obviously I don't know for sure, but I have two small speculations. First, I think initially Satan didn't fully understand the power, existence, and authority of God the Father. The only God he ever saw was the Angel of Hashem, who seemed to be his equal (and perhaps, like Peter Atkins, he thought creation was easy). Second, he must have thought that he was more clever than the Angel of Hashem. This is common when you think about it. Sometimes when young children explain simple things to their parents they seem very worried that the parents won't understand. Children seem to always assume that their parents are imbeciles (the disciples treated the Lord Jesus that way at times; cf. John 11:11-12). It takes at least twenty years and a few hard knocks by life before children realize they're not Albert Einsteins and that their parents aren't complete goobers.

I mention these things because I think God is largely viewed today by people as Satan initially viewed him before the fall. Either they think he isn't there in true omnipotent power and majesty (Psalm 10:4), or that he is surmountable, beatable; they are comforted that their philosophy trumps the theology of the Bible (Psalm 10:11). Yet just as the Word of Hashem actually came to Zechariah, so will Hashem himself actually come to this earth, and all aspersions will be cast aside forever.

*The Messiah is told to rouse himself in Isaiah 51:9...

Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake as in the days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not You who cut Rahab in pieces, who pierced the dragon?

Then Zion is charged with rousing as well...

Awake, awake, clothe yourself in your strength, O Zion; clothe yourself in your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for the uncircumcised and the unclean will no longer come into you. -- Isaiah 52:1

Only in the Messiah, the first-fruit, is there regeneration and eternal life...

For this reason, He [or, it] says, "Be waking up, the one sleeping, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." -- Ephesians 5:14

Commentators are generally stumped as to what passage Paul is referring to here. I think it's clear that the apostle expected us to have worked out the implication of combining Isaiah 51:9 with Isaiah 52:1 for ourselves. When Paul spelled out an interpretation he would have been slighted as being simplistic, yet when he made his listeners and readers do some of the work, he is charged with being deceptive or abstract.

VI. Chapter 3:1-10: Zechariah's Fourth Dream

(The Kingdom Justified: Joshua before the Angel)

William MacDonald: The priesthood, representative of the nation, cleansed and restored.3

John MacArthur: Vision 4 -- Cleansing of the high priest (3:1–10), God purifies both high priest and people.4

The sequence of dreams began with the Angel of Hashem supplicating God the Father to bless Zion. The next two dreams showed God's plan to punish the nations that have scattered the people of Israel and to make Jerusalem an abounding blessing in the earth. Yet all this divine activity has a price tag. When the people began rebuilding, Haggai pointed out that they weren't worthy of the calling...

Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.'" -- 2:14

The people had undergone a constant cycle of decay ever since becoming a nation. Their morality ebbed and flowed throughout the period of judges and kings; how would they ever change now? Indeed, the post-exilic books of Nehemiah and Ezra demonstrated that the cycle of dilapidation had already begun with those newly-released Israelites. They needed a permanent redemption that could change their hearts. They needed the new covenant...

"Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke...But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." -- Jeremiah 31:31-33

They would receive this through the Messiah, who is described in wonderful detail throughout the next two dreams.

Israel has a cycle of holidays that were instituted in the days of Moses (cf. Leviticus 23). The beginning of this festive calendar was Passover. We saw how the Angel of Hashem in the ravine reminded us of the Exodus and also of the Lord Jesus Christ as he prayed after the Passover meal in the Garden of Gethsemane. In this scene Joshua the high priest is justified, just as the omer was raised a few days after Passover as a sign of the coming harvest. In the next dream we will see an oil-lamp with 49 appendages, representing the Holy Spirit being given at Pentecost/Shavuot (which took place 49 days from the waiving of the omer); this holiday spoke of the fuller harvest of Israel physically and the building up of the church spiritually.

|1| And he showed me Joshua the great [i.e., "high"] priest standing before the Angel of Hashem; and the Adversary [or "Satan"] [was] standing on his right to act as his adversary.

Notes:

*The figures that have a large part in the next two dreams, Joshua and Zerubbabel, can be found mentioned in other places within the post-exilic literature. Joshua was often known as "Jeshua/Yaeshua" elsewhere (cf. Ezra 10:18; i.e., this is very similar to "Jesus.").

*Just where this scene took place and what was really the import of the activities are both debated points. Some say Joshua was ministering in the Temple, while others see him in the heavenly throne-room of God. I fully agree with the latter assessment because of the activity of Satan...

The scene is invested with a judicial character as Joshua, the high priest of the restoration who came back in the first group with Zerubbabel (cf. Ezra 3:2; 5:2; Hag. 1:1), was accused by Satan, who was standing at the right side, the place of accusation under the law (cf. Ps. 109:6 [this verse is worth fully relaying: "Appoint a wicked man over him, and let an accuser stand at his right hand"]). -- MacArthur14

And He..."shewed me Joshua the high priest, standing before the Angel of the Lord;" probably to be judged by him; as in the New Testament, "to stand before the Son of Man;" for although "standing before," whether in relation to man or God, expresses attendance upon, yet here it appears only as a condition, contemporaneous with that of Satan's, to accuse him. -- Barnes15

*The throne room of God as a place of heavenly judgment is depicted several times in the Old Testament (cf. also Revelation 4-5). For example...

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan [NASB footnote: I.e. the adversary...] also came among them. -- Job 1:6

Micaiah said, "Therefore, hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left. The LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And one said this while another said that." -- 1 Kings 22:19-20

Satan is also seen zeroing in on key individuals...

Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel. -- 1 Chronicles 21:1

The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered [NASB footnote: Lit set your heart to] My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing [NASB footnote: Or revering] God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him [NASB footnote: Lit swallow him up] without cause." -- Job 2:3

His ability to terrorize the saints was impeded at Calvary. One day he will be fully cast out and barred from heaven altogether, all through the justification and ascension of the Lord Jesus. Haman will be cast out, and Mordecai will be exalted without impediment...

And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ [has] occurred, because the accuser of our brothers [and sisters], the one accusing them before our God day and night, was thrown down! And they defeated him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life to the point of death." \-- Revelation 12:10-11

|2| And Hashem said to the Adversary [or, "Satan"], Hashem rebukes you [literally, "on you;" i.e., Hashem puts rebuke and scolding on the Adversary yet fixes his distinguishing mercy on Jerusalem], the [or, "O"] Adversary [or, "Satan"]! Even Hashem -- the one on Jerusalem selecting -- rebukes you [literally, "on you"]! Is this not a brand plucked [or, "snatched"] out from fire?

Notes:

*Stonard highlights the divinity of the Angel of Hashem via this passage:

For who or what could he be, who sat as judge in a plea, where the high-priest of God and the prince of fallen angels were the parties, and who pronounced sentence in the name of Jehovah? From such an office, so discharged, divinity is plainly inseparable...16

Rabbi David Kimchi similarly notes the chiefly nature of this Angel while commenting on verse 4's charge of clothing Joshua...

He said to the other angels who were standing before him, for he was greater than they, and he it was who sent them. And the Targum of Jonathan has, "To those who served before him."17

Stonard, a thorough and knowledgeable commentator, also believes that this scene is what Jude refers to in his epistle...

But Michael the archangel, when contending with the Devil, he was arguing about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous judgment, but he said, "May [the] Lord rebuke you!" -- Jude 1:9

Yet the explanation of how Moses can be taken for Joshua is unsatisfying (Stonard and others like him say that the body of Moses means Israel corporately), and the similarities probably do not mean that the same scene is in view. The Angel and the Devil have probably tussled a zillion times in like manner.

*Although the body of Moses probably doesn't refer to Israel corporately (for there is no relevant Scriptural precedent for such an odd statement in my opinion), clearly Joshua is symbolic for all of Jerusalem, for such is plainly related in this verse. The high priest of Israel stood for the city of God, just as the Lord Jesus is said to redeem his bride, who is synonymous in Revelation 21 with the New Jerusalem (cf. 21:9).

*The description of a plucked brand was given by Amos a few hundred years earlier...

"I overthrew you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were like a firebrand snatched from a blaze; yet you have not returned to Me," declares the LORD. -- Amos 4:11

God expects those whom he delivers to be treated with compassion by any adversary but also expects the recipient of grace to be humble and grateful. Hezekiah was punished for not showing proper gratitude (2 Chronicles 32:24-25).

|3| And Joshua was clothed [in] filthy [via excrement] garments and standing before the Angel.

Notes:

*Although Joshua and his family had public sins of their own (Ezra 10:18), the reference to the unclean clothes probably refers to the unclean state of the post-exilic people in general (cf. Isaiah 64:6). After all, a short while before, Ezekiel had to eat bread cooked over excrement as a sign of the captivity (cf. Ezekiel 4:9-15). Sin is to God what rancid waste is to us.

*Just as Jacob thought he knew the ominous outcome when he had to face Esau (Genesis 33), so the dramatic tension in this verse could lead us to expect that the Angel will ultimately drive Joshua's disgusting visage away from his holy presence via a poignant rebuke. We are in for a pleasant surprise. The disciples also were downcast at the death of the Lord Jesus, as they thought that meant his certain overthrow and demise. They too were in for a pleasant surprise at his resurrection! Grace is always amazing.

*This scene reminds me of what happened recently with the clerk Kim Davis of Kentucky. She took a stand for her faith and the major media outlets instantly dug into the woman's past for any dirt. They found plenty. Then she was called a hypocrite and maniacal and deemed someone who was just starved for attention. The media uses morality as a weapon when it suits them. Woe be unto you these days if the world hates you, for every little thing you have ever done wrong will be magnified and posted on the front-page, and most people will hypocritically and short-sightedly turn from you. Yet God can justify whomever he so chooses, for his judgment is more accurate—and more importantly—focused on his Son.

|4| And he answered and said to the ones standing before him, saying, Remove the filthy [via excrement] garments from upon him; and he said to him, See, I have caused to pass from upon you your iniquity, and [am] clothing you with stately robes [or, "festive garments;" Feyerabend].

Notes:

*As related above, this scene calls to mind the events of the book of Esther decades before they happened. Mordecai is the only Old Testament figure I can think of who was commanded to be clothed in fine garments by a king after having worn garments of humiliation (albeit the scene is close to Joseph's ascendency from the dungeon). Zechariah's words would have been well known during the time of Esther, so the exaltation of Mordecai and the new holiday of Purim would have given the Jews a lot of food for thought during the silent centuries leading up to the birth of the Saviour.

*Equating garments to a person's spiritual state is an ongoing theme throughout the Bible. In Genesis the sinning couple wore fig leaves, and in Revelation the saints are given splendid robes. The robing here reminds one of the prodigal son, and as with Mordecai, was meant to be a ceremony of honour. Only God could make a V.I.P. out of someone so deplorable.

|5| And I said, [May] they put a clean [or, "pure"] headdress [or, "turban"] upon his head; and they put the clean [or, "pure"] headdress [or, "turban"] upon his head, and they clothed him with garments; and the Angel of Hashem [is] standing.

Notes:

*The word "may" isn't in the text, yet it is so strongly implied that it seems silly to leave it out. Jussive verbs in Hebrew are often indistinguishable from their normal imperfect counterparts.

*This scene is an enactment of something Isaiah prophesied about a couple of centuries prior...

For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not keep quiet, until her righteousness goes forth like brightness, and her salvation like a torch that is burning. The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; and you will be called by a new name which the mouth of the LORD will designate. You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem [NASB footnote: Lit turban] in the hand of your God. -- 62:1-3

"Diadem" is a questionable translation. The NASB footnote is correct. This is the same term in Zechariah 3:5, and it only occurs two more times in the entire Old Testament (according to the NASB's exhaustive concordance). A very similar term occurs twelve times according to The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament [TWOT], which calls it "the distinctive headgear of the high priest."

*I see this standing of the Angel of Hashem as a significant symbolic act, reflected by the standing of the Saviour at the death of Stephen and the prophesied standing of Michael in Daniel 12:1. I think this scene mainly speaks of the resurrection of Jesus Christ (see Revelation 12:1-10), but also has in view the resurrection of the witnesses in Revelation 11, which will be a sign of Jonah to the whole world. It's at that time Michael will stand, and judgment will fall upon the globe to the extreme (perhaps in the form of bolides).

*Although I have no great exegetical reason to do so, I see Zechariah's shouting out to crown Joshua as symbolic of the future conversion of Israel. To this day Rabbis still think Jesus Christ was sinful, being inexcusably angry at times and dispensing with traditional law-keeping. Yet one day they will understand that he was justified of God and will thereafter crown him with many crowns. It was also at the resurrection of Christ that the first believers began to fully revel in his program and power.

|6| And the Angel of Hashem bore witness with Joshua, saying,

Notes:

*This bearing witness reminds us of the name "Iddo" and also strengthens my belief that the resurrection of the Lord and the witnesses of Revelation 11 are partially in view.

*The Angel was bearing witness with him, admonishing and justifying at the same time. A perfectly parallel scene is the sinful woman in the Temple. The religious people wanted her stoned. The Lord Jesus told her to sin no more, but only after telling the hostile mob that she shouldn't be put to death.

The successful rule of Israel's leaders was always conditioned on good works, which is why after being saved by the rising of our Captain, we must pursue holiness in order to efficaciously minister to those around us.

|7| Thus said Hashem of Hosts: If you will walk in my ways, and if my charge you will keep charge of, then also you -- you will judge my house, and also you will have charge of my courts [or, "enclosures," "villages"], and I will give to you passageways [i.e., "goings," in terms of access] among these standing.

Notes:

*The Lord Jesus Christ was adept at passing through crowds. In his life he often had to slip through angry mobs so that he wouldn't be killed prematurely. In Daniel 7 and Revelation 5 he is pictured as passing through the entire celestial congregation, being summoned to the throne of the Almighty itself (just for the record, I think Stonard wrote something like this).

*No commentator that I read fully knows what to do with the latter part of this verse. If the term passageways means access, who are the ones being accessed? Probably what is in view are the double arms of God; i.e., the Angel of Hashem to bless and the Adversary to curse. It is not that we should curse people, yet Paul obviously had the spiritual authority to deliver up people to Satan (cf. 1 Corinthians 5). All he could do was pray about the need for judgment, but his prayer was indeed heard of God and Satan was dispatched. Blessedly, many think the man whom Paul delivered to Satan was actually restored (cf. 2 Corinthians 2:1-8), so this wasn't some bizarre execution method. Perhaps the man got sick but then repented.

|8| Hear now Joshua the great [i.e., "high"] priest, you and your companions sitting before you, for men of a sign they [are]; indeed [or, "for"], behold me bringing in my servant "Branch."

Notes:

*There are several lovely prophecies that describe the Lord Jesus Christ as a branch or shoot: e.g. Zechariah 6:12; Isaiah 4:2, 11:1, 53:2; Jeremiah 23:5, 33:15. There are also several lovely prophetic passages that describe the Lord Jesus Christ as a servant: e.g. Isaiah 42:1, 49:3, 50:10, 52:13, 53:11; Ezekiel 34:23-24.

Stop and think about what this would have meant to Zechariah and his listeners. For example, the prophet Isaiah was not two hundred years dead and his words doubtless were well known and extremely revered by the religious. Isaiah had several memorable things to say about the Messiah as a branch and servant; for example...

Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. -- 11:1-2

Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted [NASB footnote: Or very high]...His appearance was marred more than any man and His form more than the sons of men. Thus He will sprinkle many nations...Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground... -- 52:13-53:2

Then the Holy Spirit informs Zechariah that the Branch was coming soon. He would have not been thinking about Zerubbabel; he would have been thinking about the King, Messiah.

*How the companions of Joshua are signs is another unsolved mystery. Perhaps Joshua was being told that he and his fellow priests were just representatives of the true heavenly priest, the great Melchizedek. This explanation of the ceremonial law would be poignant given the questions that came concerning the legal traditions addressed in Zechariah 7-8.

In other words, Zechariah wasn't being given prophecies in order for Joshua to boast over his greatness. He was just a play-actor. The Angel had courtiers who helped clothe Joshua. Joshua himself apparently had courtiers. The stone about to be mentioned had eyes. The Angel is as Joshua and is as the stone, the Lamb with the Seven Spirits (Revelation 5)—the head/cornerstone of the church (Ephesians 1:22, 4:15/2:20). It all represents Jesus Christ in different ways. Isaiah, who had sons with significant names, spoke similarly...

Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. And I will wait for the LORD who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; I will even look eagerly for Him. Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. -- 8:16-18

|9| For behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua, upon one stone [are] seven eyes; behold me engraving its engraving, a declaration of Hashem of Hosts; and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.

Notes:

*The Messiah as a stone is another massive motif in the Old Testament. For examples see Genesis 49:24, Psalm 118:22, and Isaiah 28:16. There are also metaphorical references, such as the smiting of the rock by Moses.

*All sin will be removed in ONE DAY! This was also a great promise made by Jeremiah a short while earlier...

"In those days and at that time," declares the LORD, "search will be made for the iniquity of Israel, but there will be none; and for the sins of Judah, but they will not be found; for I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant." -- 50:20

How in the world can Zechariah's or Jeremiah's prophecies be fulfilled, apart from the doctrine of justification set out in the New Testament?

*Barnes said:

"Behold I will engrave the graving thereof," as of a costly stone. What the graving is, is not explained; but manifestly it is everything which concurs to its beauty. [Irenaeus said:] "This stone is of earth, and of the power and workmanship of God." [Lap.:] "It signifies Him Who had His birth in virgin-earth, but framed skillfully by the power of the Holy Spirit." That Precious Stone was further graven, through the Providence and Will of God, when [Jerome said:] "He caused it to be wounded by the nails of the Cross and the soldier's lance, and in His Passion took away the iniquity of the earth in one day, of which it is written, 'This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it'" [Psalm 118:24]. Beautiful were the gifts and graces which Christ received, as Man; but beautiful beyond all beauty must be those glorious scars, with which He allowed His whole Body to be riven, that, [Lap.:] "throughout the whole frame His love might be engraven." [Ribera said:] "What even in the Body of the Lord can be lovelier...than those five Wounds, which He willed to retain in His immortal Being, lest the blessed should be deprived of that splendour, surpassing far the light of sun and stars?"18

*Kimchi said that the term should indeed be rendered engraving, even though he did not believe in the Saviour:

...The true meaning is "engraving," as in Exod. [28:]36, "And thou shalt grave upon it according to the graving of a signet." For as the finishing of the preparation of precious stone is the figures, and bloom and pomegranates, which they figure upon it by graving, so it is here said parabolically, i.e., I will finish it in all its preparation for the building.19

*Concerning the removing of iniquity Rashi (who of course didn't believe in the Lord Jesus either) said: "I do not know what day."20

*As he engraved the 10 commandments, so Hashem engraved the wounds of the Messiah...

And one of the elders says to me, "Stop weeping! Listen! The Lion overcame, the One from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, the One opening the scroll and its seven seals." And I saw in [the] middle of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in [the] middle of the elders, a Lamb having stood as if having been slain [i.e., Jesus, cp. John 1:29], having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits [fig., which is the seven-fold Spirit] of God being sent into all the earth. And He came and has taken out of the right hand of the One sitting on the throne. -- Revelation 5:5-7

|10| On that day, a declaration of Hashem of Hosts, you will call (each) man to his companion to [congregate] under a vine and to [congregate] under a fig tree.

Notes:

*This of course speaks of the Messianic Age (Micah 4:4), prefigured during the reign of Solomon (1 Kings 4:25). As the European Antichrist to come, the Assyrian king tried to tempt Hezekiah and his people to find the same repose in his kingdom...

Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria, "Make your peace with me and come out to me, and eat each of his vine and each of his fig tree and drink each of the waters of his own cistern..." -- Isaiah 36:16

VII. Chapter 4:1-14: Zechariah's Fifth Dream

(The Kingdom Aglow: The Menorah)

William MacDonald: Israel, God's lightbearer, will rebuild the temple by the Spirit of God (pictured by the oil).3

John MacArthur: Vision 5 -- Golden lampstand and two olive trees (4:1–14), God rebuilds the temple.4

In the first dream Israel was prayed for. In the second dream the nations were judged. In the third dream Israel was blessed. The fourth and fifth dreams show how all this cursing and blessing was purchased. The Lamb has the scroll of the earth and has the redemption price to buy his people, all thanks to his righteousness and his shed blood. In the previous dream we saw the kingdom justified in the person of the Messiah. In this dream we see the kingdom glowing with the Holy Spirit. The last dream spoke of the raising of the omer; this one speaks of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost/Shavuot, the feast that took place 7 weeks (49 days) after the raising of the omer (see Acts 2; Leviticus 23:15).

|1| And the angel speaking with me returned, and he roused me as a man who is roused from his sleep.

Notes:

*Based on the resurrection of Christ from the last dream, the Holy Spirit, pictured by the angel, now returns and quickens the saints/Israel.

|2| And he said to me, What [are] you seeing? And he [qere, "I"] said, I have seen, and behold, a menorah of gold -- all of it -- and a basin on its top, and its lamps [are] seven on it -- seven and seven castings [are] to the lamps that [are] on its top.

Notes:

*Feinberg said:

In the original Hebrew the numeral is repeated; in other words, there were seven pipes apiece or forty-nine in all. The whole picture is intended to convey the thought of an unlimited supply which needed no human instrumentality for replenishing, as did the lampstands in the tabernacle and the Temple. The larger the number of the oil pipes, the brighter the light of the lampstand. The purpose of the vision is clearly brought out in verse 6.21

*Rashi said:

Seven small tubes come to every lamp, for the oil flows from the bowl through those tubes into each lamp.22

*Barnes said:

The candlestick is the seven-branched candlestick of the tabernacle [Exodus 25:31], but with variations purposely introduced to symbolise the fuller and more constant supply of the oil, itself the symbol of God's Holy Spirit...23

*The quote by Barnes is very helpful. This menorah is clearly patterned after the one described to Moses, but there are obvious differences. This is also the case with the menorah pictured in the opening chapter of Revelation, which is different again. The slight changes highlight that which the Holy Spirit is particularly teaching.

The most noticeable difference is the fact that there is a bowl of oil at the top which is replenished by olive trees on either side (this latter bit becomes clear later in the chapter). The original design consisted of normal lamps that had to be constantly tended by Levitical priests. Apart from the bowl of oil, the other giant difference is the "seven and seven" castings. I used the very general term "casting," for the exact shape of the menorah is not at all clear, and many see something that is a rapid departure from the standard menorah design (such as Joyce Baldwin). But most translators simply render "casting" as "pipe;" which, for clarity's sake, is how I'll refer to them for the rest of this section.

We've all seen Jewish menorahs used at Hanukah. There are tube-like branches coming out of each side of the middle-shaft with lamps upon the top of the branches. The Bible's menorahs always had seven lamps. The question is, just what are these "seven and seven" pipes? It's either that for each of the seven lamps there were two pipes apiece (thus fourteen pipes, as the NET Bible), or the Scripture is saying that there were seven pipes for each of the seven lamps, thus making a total of forty-nine pipes. For a long time I leaned strongly towards the fourteen idea, but after studying the matter more carefully for this commentary I now lean strongly towards the forty-nine idea. Revelation 1 also seems to fit this bill, as the seven churches all should have the Seven Spirits of God.

Keil and Delitzch (like Rashi and Feinberg and Baldwin, etc.) argue for the forty-nine idea, and masterfully site 2 Samuel 21:20 as an example of how a repeated number can signify a number that is meant to be distributed to all the named parts, thus "seven and seven" means seven pipes for each lamp (also, the verse from 2 Samuel is about a giant, which is very fitting given the contents of this chapter). Either way, all commentators agree that the oil represents the Holy Spirit, which is the only truly vital point to the dream.

*There is an alternate reading which says that Zechariah was the one who spoke of what he saw, yet the actual written text indicates that the angel simply continued talking. Perhaps Zechariah was dumbfounded and so the angel spoke for him. In the last dream Zechariah interrupted and wished for Joshua to be crowned. Thus, the justification of Christ opens our eyes, and having done so, we submit to the guidance and teaching of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit now takes of the things of Christ and gives them to us (John 16:15).

*Not to overstate the obvious, but believers are called lamps/lights at many places in the New Testament (e.g. Matthew 5:14-16; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Ephesians 5:8; Colossians 1:12; Revelation 1-3).

|3| And two olive trees [are] by it, one at the right of the basin and one on its left.

Notes:

*The real point to the dream is not so much the menorah as it is these trees. This is where the oil for the lamps come from. The trees are doubtless meant to refer to Joshua and Zerubbabel, and extending from that, the Messiah whom they represent. There are probably many valid semblances (such as Zechariah and Haggai, or my favourite, Elijah and Elisha), but even these ultimately only exist to highlight the manifold attributes of Jesus Christ—mainly, his priestly and kingly roles.

|4| And I answered and said to the angel speaking with me, saying, What [are] these, my lord?

|5| And the angel speaking with me answered and said to me, Have you not known what they [are], these [ones]? And I said, No, my lord.

|6| And he answered and spoke to me, saying, This [is] the word of Hashem to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by strength and not by power, but rather by my Spirit, said Hashem of Hosts.

Notes:

*Zechariah was very enthralled by the physical emblems. The angel immediately directs the prophet's attention away from the physical emblems to their spiritual meaning. This is the perpetual problem for the religious, being more interested in the object rather than the object lesson.

*Ironically, the Maccabees would lead a bloody revolt, the crowning achievement of which was the miraculous kindling of the menorah. This is what the festival of Hanukah commemorates. The Lord Jesus Christ rather came and endured a bloody revolt against his own flesh, and in so doing, he lit the true, eternal, heavenly menorah. The contrast between Hanukah and Christmas is actually therefore fairly significant.

*Zerubbabel probably thought that to be a great leader he should concentrate on having an impressive army or perhaps seek alliances with foreign powers. This is what the counterpart passage from Isaiah is speaking of...

"Woe to the rebellious children," declares the LORD, "Who execute a plan, but not Mine, and make an alliance [NASB footnote: Lit pour out a drink offering], but not of My Spirit, in order to add sin to sin; who proceed down to Egypt without consulting Me, to take refuge in the safety of Pharaoh and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt!" -- 30:1-2

God is making it clear that Zerubbabel should only seek to be joined to the Holy Spirit, and not foreign powers. Hashem will make the same offer to Israel after the rivulets of the flood of Gog/Magog, but they will rather delight in the strength of the rising Antichrist (Daniel 9:26-27; 11:22-23).

|7| Who [are] you, the mountain of the great? Before Zerubbabel [you will become like] unto a plain; and he will bring out the top [or, "head"]-stone -- shouts of Grace, grace [will be] unto it.

Notes:

*Kimchi said concerning the shouting...

When Zerubbabel laid the head-stone in the building, he laid it with shoutings and a great tumult, and all the people said, Grace, grace, to this stone from God, blessed be He.24

*The top/head stone seems to foretell the completion of the Temple. This was most likely Zerubbabel's grand desire and concern. Yet with the stone we should also see the Messiah.

We've already read how the Messiah was invoked as an engraved stone in the last dream, dealing with the priesthood of the Lord Jesus. Here his kingship is in view, and thus his role as builder is a prevalent motif.

People indeed shouted out to him for grace and mercy in the days of his earthly ministry (Matthew 9:27, 15:22, 20:30-31, etc.). He is God's true Tabernacle, his true Temple. When we are saved, we become a part of his body, the Sanctuary of the Living God...

To whom having approached [as to] a living stone, on the one hand having been rejected by people, on the other hand chosen [and] precious before God, and you* yourselves, as living stones, are being built up [into] a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. -- 1 Peter 2:4-5

*The Messiah was a distant son of Zerubbabel (Matthew 1:12-13; Luke 3:27). He is indeed "the Root and the Offspring of David" (Revelation 22:16). He created the human race and framed David in his mother's womb (Psalm 139), and was also the fruitful bough born of David's lineage.

*The mountain becoming a plain has several meanings in my opinion. Primarily, it refers to Zerubbabel and the exiles overcoming their obstacles and enemies in rebuilding the Temple. Prophetically, it refers to the Messiah's ultimate triumph over Babylon. For Jeremiah wrote...

"Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, who destroys the whole earth," declares the LORD, "And I will stretch out My hand against you, and roll you down from the crags, and I will make you a burnt out mountain." -- 51:25

This motif is found in the book of Revelation. John Gill, although he certainly does not embrace my particular view of eschatology, ties in this verse from Zechariah to Revelation 8:8. I couldn't agree more.

And the second angel sounded [his] trumpet, and [something] like a great burning mountain was thrown into the sea, and the third of the sea became blood. -- Revelation 8:8

I believe this will happen literally in the end times, and that it is an astonishingly important event, taking place after religious Jerusalem falls (cf. Revelation 11:13). It just may be the turning point between the calmness of the Beast unto the days of his rage. It may be the turning point between people's indifference to the things of God to people's hearts failing them from fear. It would make a fool of the religion of the false prophet, and perhaps because of it, the false church will be destroyed. The smashing of this heavenly body into Earth may just be the late, great, turning point in world history...

"And as soon as you finish reading this scroll, you will tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates, and say, 'Just so shall Babylon sink down and not rise again because of the calamity that I am going to bring upon her; and they will become exhausted.'" Thus far are the words of Jeremiah. -- Jeremiah 51:63-64

And one mighty angel took up a stone as a great millstone and threw [it] into the sea, saying, "In this way Babylon will be thrown down with violence, the great city, and she shall by no means be found [any]more!" -- Revelation 18:21

Of course the political city of Babylon will survive the fiery mountain of Revelation 8:8, yet will face a similar pelting at the very end (Revelation 16:19-21). It is the destruction of the earlier religious Babylon as seen in Revelation 17 that will seemingly be affected more directly by the falling heavenly bodies, foretelling the apostate empire's ultimate doom.

|8| And the word of Hashem was to me, saying,

|9| The hands of Zerubbabel have founded this house, and his hands will finish [or "cut off"]; then you will know that Hashem of Hosts has sent me to you.

Notes:

*The "you" is plural. Hashem was not saying this to Zechariah but rather to his listeners.

*John Gill said that it is the Messiah who is speaking to the prophet, which is the only view that is sensible.

*Zerubbabel was assured of victory in his own building project, and is also a picture of Jesus Christ—the Divine Carpenter—building the church...

Therefore, holy brothers [and sisters], sharers of [the] heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession -- Jesus Christ -- being faithful to the One having appointed Him, as also Moses [was] in all his house. [see Numb 12:7] For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, to the degree that the one having built the house has more honor than [the house] itself. For every house is built by someone, but the One having built all [things is] God. -- Hebrews 3:1-4

|10| For who has showed despite to an insignificant [or, "small"] day? And [or perhaps, "Yet"] they will rejoice and see the alloy-stone [or "tin-stone"] in the hand of Zerubbabel; these seven [are] the eyes of Hashem, those roving throughout the whole of the earth.

Notes:

*Zechariah sometimes uses a priestly motif. We saw horns which reminded us of an altar; we saw Joshua the high priest being clothed; we see a menorah here. Zechariah also uses a festival motif. We saw the semblance to Passover at the beginning; we saw a semblance to the raising of the omer with Joshua; we see a reference to Pentecost/Shavuot here. Now we have a metal motif to add to the list. This is a theme that will run throughout the rest of the dreams. A list of common Biblical metals is given in Numbers 31:21-23...

Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to battle, "This is the statute of the law which the LORD has commanded Moses: only the gold and the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin and the lead, everything that can stand the fire, you shall pass through the fire, and it shall be clean, but it shall be purified with water for impurity. But whatever cannot stand the fire you shall pass through the water."

Tin is mentioned in this verse from Zechariah. Lead is mentioned with the ephah in dream seven. Bronze is mentioned with the mountains in dream eight. Silver and gold are mentioned in the epilogue (the menorah and oil in this chapter are also golden). The only common metal not used anywhere is iron, the metal which rusts and is symbolic of Rome in Daniel 2 and 7.

*Just what this "alloy/tin-stone" is can't be known with certainty, but most translators take it to be a tool for building. "Plummet" therefore is a very common rendering, and is the meaning assigned by The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. In the last dream there was a stone before Joshua with seven eyes. Here such a stone features again, and it is said to be in Zerubbabel's hand for building the Temple. This verse always reminds me of Luke 1, when Joseph and Mary (both descendants of Zerubbabel) bring Jesus Christ into the Temple, and two elderly people rejoice. It was the day of small things (of light tin), but the beginning of total redemption.

|11| And I answered and said to him, What [are] these two olive trees on the right of the menorah and on its left?

|12| And I replied a second [time] and said to him, What [are] the two clusters of the olives that [are] on the hand [figuratively, "side"] of the two conduits of the gold, the ones pouring out from upon them[selves] the gold.

Notes:

*Two things seem to occupy the interest of Zechariah here. First, in a general way he asks about these trees beside the menorah. Then he focuses in on the most peculiar feature of the trees.

Each tree seems to have a fruitful bough where there is a substantial cluster of olives. The word for "cluster" normally is used to describe an ear of grain. It seems to be these two particular branches that are giving the oil. The oil is described as "gold." There are two conduits or tubes that are transporting the golden oil from the clusters to the menorah. The word for "conduit" only appears here, although a nearly identical word appears two other times in the Old Testament. Significantly, once it occurs when David is trying to take Jerusalem from the Jebusites (2 Samuel 5:8). The other time is a Psalm where a former worshipper in the Temple is mourning his plight at the hands of enemies (Psalm 42:7). In both instances the people of God are being mocked and ridiculed, and both involve Jerusalem.

The particular branches can be seen as furthering the popular Messianic motif...

|13| And he spoke to me, saying, Have you not known what these [are]? And I said, No, my lord.

|14| And he said, These [are] the two sons of the fresh oil, the ones standing by the Lord of the whole of the earth.

Notes:

*In the Hebrew Bible there is a word that is common for oil (shemen), and this word (yitzar), which seems to indicate fresh, "unmanufactured" oil (TWOT). The root is also used to signify noontime, which is probably why the BDB also gives the definition of "shining" oil. Forty-nine pipes are supplying shining, golden oil. How blinding can you get!

*As I said earlier in the chapter, primarily these refer to Joshua and Zerubbabel, the religious and political leaders who held anointed positions. There can be little doubt to this interpretation, given the epilogue of 6:9-15.

*Just what is a son of oil? Well the only other time this construction appears in the Hebrew (that I'm aware of anyway) is Isaiah 5:1...

Let me sing now for my well-beloved a song of my beloved concerning His vineyard. My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill.

"On a fertile hill" is literally, "on a horn, a son of oil." An NASB footnote translates the phrase, "a horn, the son of fatness." An LEB footnote translates the phrase, "a horn of a son of olive oil."

On a footnote, in the very next verse from Isaiah we have one of the rare occurrences of the brother-word of the term translated bay in the first dream...

He dug it all around, removed its stones, and planted it with the choicest vine [NASB footnote: Lit a bright red grape]...

Anyway, "son of oil" seems to be here a poetic name for a fruitful field, an Eden of olive trees. Thus these two sons of oil are in stark contrast to the two mountains of brass which will appear in dream eight, ushering in the destruction of the world.

There were two pillars outside of Solomon's Temple: Boaz (probably meaning, "in him is strength") and Jachin (probably meaning, "he will establish"). Just so, the Angel of Hashem (Revelation 10) and Jesus of Nazareth (Revelation 19) have given perpetual strength to the people of God (Revelation 14) throughout redemptive history. He is divine and material. He is the Lord and stands by the Lord. He sits on the throne and on its right. This is the mystery of God. This is the inexplicable reality of Jesus Christ.

VIII. Chapter 5:1-4: Zechariah's Sixth Dream

(The Kingdom Proclaimed: The Flying Scroll)

William MacDonald: The curse of God pronounced against perjury and theft in the land.3

John MacArthur: Vision 6 -- Flying scroll (5:1–4), God removes imparted sin/ idolatry.4

Thomas Constable has made available online some good notes25 on Zechariah which include many remarkable quotes from other commentators. I'll give a few of the quotes as we steer into the murkier waters of the latter chapters. The first is from Merrill Unger, summarizing this dream...

This whole passage is very valuable as a commentary on the nature of Christ's rule in righteousness in the millennial period as well as the severity of His dealing with sinners once the day of grace is ended and the day of wrath and judgment is ushered in with the opening of the seven sealed roll of Revelation 5:1-9, loosing the seals, trumpets, and bowl judgments that dispossess Satan, demons, and the wicked men from the earth preparatory to the advent of the King of kings and Lord of lords to establish His rule and kingdom.25A

Now we're firmly on the other side of the divide, the portion of the dreams that appears to focus on the tribulation period almost exclusively. So the Angel prayed in dream one, the horns were cast down in dream two, the city was measured in dream three, and the sons of the oil were described in dreams four and five. Now we move on to the end.

In some ways it seems as if Zechariah is being led by the Holy Spirit to use Daniel 9:24-27 as an outline. This particular portion of Daniel is perhaps the most important chronological prophecy ever given. In these verses two important periods of time are described. One was closer at hand (being about 483 years from Nehemiah; albeit, the years may contain just 360 days apiece), which culminated in the death of the Messiah. The second was to take place over a seven-year period, climaxing in an evil prince—the Antichrist—breaking a covenant with Israel...

And he shall confirm a covenant with the many [for] one week; and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease... -- verse 27 (Darby)

It is this 70th week that is now in view. There are two major reasons why I believe this to be true. First of all, the semblances between the last three dreams and what we know about the end times via the book of Revelation are overwhelmingly strong. For example, I think chapter 5 of Zechariah and chapter 13 of Revelation are completely parallel. Secondly, having viewed Passover, the sheaf, and Pentecost, we're ready to move on to the fall festivals. The spring festivals were all fulfilled at the first coming of Jesus Christ, and the fall festivals will be fulfilled at his second coming.

In the next three dreams there is a progression based on Leviticus 23. First (dream six), a proclamation goes forth that foretells judgement (Rosh Hashanah). Then (dream seven), remaining sin is carried off to the wilderness of Shinar (Yom Kippur). Finally (dream eight), the end comes when the nations will be fully judged, which is necessary to bring to pass the Feast of Ingathering (pictured by the epilogue).

|1| And I returned [or, "turned back"] and lifted up my eyes, and I saw, and behold -- a flying scroll!

Notes:

*The Lord told Zechariah at the beginning of the visions that Israel needed to repent. When the Lord related the Messianic Age to Ezekiel a similar instruction was given...

As for you, son of man, describe [NASB footnote: Lit declare] the temple [NASB footnote: Lit house] to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the plan [NASB footnote: Lit perfection or pattern]. If they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design [NASB footnote: Or form(s)] of the house, its structure, its exits, its entrances, all its designs, all its statutes [NASB footnote: M.T. repeats and all its designs after statutes], and all its laws. And write [it] in their sight, so that they may observe its whole design [NASB footnote: Or form(s)] and all its statutes and do them. -- Ezekiel 43:10-11

After experiencing the resurrection of the Messiah and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Zechariah, representative of the people, is said to have "returned." This term is only used in relation to Zechariah to introduce chapters 5 and 6, which, as we've seen, highlight God's salvation history culminating in judgment. Zechariah/Israel has been dealt with, so now God can deal with the rest of the world...

For [it is] the time for the judgment to begin with the house of God [cf. Revelation 11 and 17]; but if with us first, what [will be] the end of the ones refusing to believe the Gospel of God? -- 1 Peter 4:17

*The flying scroll is obviously meant to convey a proclamation from God, which is the essence of Rosh Hashanah. This holiday is briefly mentioned in Leviticus 23:24...

Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, "In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing [of trumpets], a holy convocation."

According to Chabad.org, a popular website for Chasidic Jews...

The central observance of Rosh Hashanah is the sounding of the shofar, the ram's horn...The sounding of the shofar represents, among other things, the trumpet blast of a people's coronation of their king. The cry of the shofar is also a call to repentance; for Rosh Hashanah is also the anniversary of man's first sin and his repentance thereof, and serves as the first of the "Ten Days of Repentance" which will culminate in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Altogether, we listen to 100 shofar blasts over the course of the Rosh Hashanah service.26

This certainly embodies the Biblical statement about a "reminder," which seems to be the whole point to this conspicuous flying scroll. It is a giant call to repentance as a sweeping judgment engulfs the land.

|2| And he said to me, What [are] you seeing? And I said, I [am] seeing a flying scroll; its length [is] twenty by the cubit, and its width [is] ten by the cubit.

Notes:

*Kimchi said:

...The commentators have explained this to mean, that he saw it going forth from the porch of the temple, of which the length was twenty cubits, and the breadth ten cubits...27

I agree with Kimchi's comments that the porch at the Temple of Solomon (1 Kings 6:3) is in view here. The whole idea is proclamation, which can be easily done from a porch (see also Ezekiel 9-10). Jesus Christ cryptically said...

For this reason, look!, I send to you* prophets and wise men and scribes; and [some] of them you* will kill and crucify, and [some] of them you* will scourge in your* synagogues and will pursue from city to city; in order that on you* shall come all the righteous blood being poured out on the earth from the blood of Abel the righteous up to the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom you* murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. -- Matthew 23:34-35

Zacharias, son of Barachias is the Grecian way of saying, Zechariah, son of Berekiah. The fact that he was murdered between the altar and the house indicates that he was murdered near the porch. I'll not attempt to delve into the theories for the peculiarities of this statement here. Yet, it's evident that this has something to do with the end of the age, the great Days of Awe.

*A scroll that is prominent in the end times should instantly make us think of Revelation 5, where the Lamb receives a scroll that has been sealed with seven seals. When the Lamb opens these seals the great judgments of the apocalypse begin to issue forth (see Revelation 6). The seal judgments are much milder than their latter trumpet and bowl counterparts, giving people time to repent. During the earlier days of the apocalypse the Gospel will go forth with great vigour and power as well, as is related in many places; e.g.:

And this Gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed in the whole inhabited earth for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. -- Matthew 24:14 (see also Revelation 7 and 11)

|3| And he said to me, This [is] the curse [or, "oath"] going out over the surface of the whole of the earth; indeed [or, "for"], the whole of the thieving -- because of this [or instead of "because of this," simply, "hence;" Feyerabend] -- according to it, he has been cleaned [meaning anything from "innocent" to "purged out"]; and the whole of the swearing -- because of this [or instead of "because of this," simply, "hence;" Feyerabend] -- according to it, he has been cleaned [meaning anything from "innocent" to "purged out"] .

Notes:

*The Hebrew here is fairly obscure, and we could wrangle over theories endlessly as to just what this means on its own. Thankfully, like most prophetic Scriptures, it's not on its own. It has a counterpart passage...

Behold, the LORD lays the earth waste, devastates it, distorts its surface and scatters its inhabitants. And the people will be like the priest, the servant like his master, the maid like her mistress, the buyer like the seller, the lender like the borrower, the creditor like the debtor [cf. Revelation 6:12-17]. The earth will be completely laid waste and completely despoiled, for the LORD has spoken this word. The earth mourns [and] withers, the world fades [and] withers, the exalted of the people of the earth fade away. The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, for they transgressed laws, violated statutes, broke the everlasting covenant. Therefore, a curse devours the earth, and those who live in it are held guilty. Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left. \-- Isaiah 24:1-6

When the Gospel goes forth and is rejected, judgment will be coming through the door like a SWAT team (not from inquisitors or aliens, but from God).

A curse is coming, which is shorthand for an unrequited offer of blessing. The beatific God will have his love-letter scorned and mocked by ugly humanity. Wrath will overflow.

|4| I have caused it to go forth -- a declaration of Hashem of Hosts -- and it will enter unto the house of the thieving and unto the house of the swearing to the lie [or "falsehood," "deception"] by my name, and it will lodge in the midst of his house, and it will destroy it/him, and its/his wood[en] [things] and its/his stone [things].

Notes:

*In my translation of this passage I tried to reflect my indecision as to what is in view particularly. Obviously the judgment of Hashem is catching up to the thief and the false swearer, but what exactly happens to him is hard to say. It's either that his house itself is destroyed, or wooden and stone idols in the midst of his house are destroyed. The Hebrew (mainly the ambiguity of its possessive pronouns) allows for either view. It seems to make the most simple sense that the stone and wood of the house is being destroyed, yet from Isaiah to Revelation, idolatry is prophesied to play a massive part in the end times, and such practices are often spoken of in terms of wood and stone...

As the thief is shamed when he is discovered, so the house of Israel is shamed; they, their kings, their princes and their priests and their prophets, who say to a tree, "You are my father," and to a stone, "You gave me birth." For they have turned [their] back to Me, and not [their] face; but in the time of their trouble they will say, "Arise and save us." -- Jeremiah 2:26-27

*The most important elements of the verse are the sins that are listed. Although they first appeared in the previous verse, I waited to comment on them because they are elaborated on a bit more in this one. They are mentioned as if they were juxtaposed to one another, leading some translators to speculate the laws mentioned are on different sides of the scroll. I don't necessarily hold that view, yet I think the implicit juxtaposition is important, intimating perjurers on one side of a divide and thieves on the other. This seems to indicate the false worship of the Antichrist along with its destructive consequences. Israel will be joined unto someone who falsely invokes the name of Hashem, while the Antichrist takes unto himself God's people. Only a fool steals God's wife.

*I know I'm overreaching a bit, but this whole dream reminds me greatly of Judges 9:7-21. Here a surviving son of Gideon confronts his felonious half-brother over the murder of his family. While standing on the mount of blessing (Gerizim), he declares a curse upon the inhabitants of the town who made his brother king and upon the sinister brother himself. He imprecates them by calling for the two parties to destroy each other. Needless to say, the Antichrist and Israel will not get along with each other either. Moreover, although most of the gentile world will seek to honour the Antichrist, he will perpetually upset the Earth and the heavens, bringing down relentless plight and problems for all of humankind.

IX. Chapter 5:5-11: Zechariah's Seventh Dream

(The Kingdom's Advance: The Woman in the Ephah)

William MacDonald: Idolatry and mercenary religion removed from the land to its ancient home base in Babylon.3

John MacArthur: Vision 7 -- Woman in basket (5:5–11), God removes the system of false religion.4

Let's begin by looking at another helpful quote provided by Constable...

The two cleansing acts of this chapter are complementary, like the two goats on the Day of Atonement, Leviticus 16, of which the first must give its blood as an expiation before the Lord, while the second carries away the guilt of the people, and the impurity springing from it, to the region of the impure desert-demon. The cleansing judgment, despite the terror, is a benefit to the land, which is thus purified and fitted to receive the blessing pictured in the former visions. -- Von Orelli25B

We began at Passover in the ravine; then the kingdom was justified and enlightened. Now in this chapter we have the fall festivals meeting their fulfilment. On the one hand a proclamation like a shofar proceeded in the form of a scroll (cf. also Isaiah 58:1), with destruction on its heels. As the above quote masterfully related, the next major festival, Yom Kippur, featured a special offering of two goats. One was killed while the other was carried away into the wilderness. The curse that went forth and destroyed the wood and stone was reflective of the killing of the first goat, and now the other goat, the woman with the ephah, is carried away into the wilderness...

When he finishes atoning for the holy place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall offer the live goat. Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to [NASB footnote: Lit in addition to] all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send [it] away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who [stands] in readiness. -- Leviticus 16:20-21

|5| And the angel speaking with me went out, and said to me, Lift up now your eyes and see; what [is] this going forth?

Notes:

*The direction of "going forth" now plays a key role in the revelations, and contrasts to the coming in of the repentant exiles during the epilogue.

|6| And I said, What [is] it? And he said, This [is] the ephah going forth; and he said, This [is] their eye [perhaps "aspect" or "appearance"] throughout the whole of the earth.

Notes:

*Many commentators see the "eye" as a meaningless anomaly, and accordingly, they then rely on a poorer textual tradition that substitutes "eye" with "iniquity." This is needless, for the ephah with the eye is the antithesis to the stone with the seven eyes.

The stone with the seven eyes represented Christ, the tool which builds the spiritual Temple, and who is also its most precious engraved stone. Here the "eye" is an ephah, not a stone used in building. An ephah was a standard commercial measurement in Israel, and thus it indicates wealth and commerce. False religion inevitably boils down to carnal commodities: money, power, and sex. This is just as Peter warned when he spoke of the false prophets that were to come...

And in covetous desire [or, greed], with fabricated words, they will exploit you*, for whom their judgment of old is not idle, and their destruction will not sleep. -- 2 Peter 2:3

Money, money, money...It's shocking how you can't turn around in a church these days without knocking into a stack of money. That's also why it is equally difficult to find a trace of the Holy Spirit. Every greedy person always has a "great reason" for their greed; they'll never admit to being a crook.

Now, it's not only sleazy televangelists that trouble me, but it's also the evangelical groups that are never finished soliciting a donation via emails and letters in order to "expand" their ministry. Did Paul do this? Please Macedonians tick a box and pledge your denarii? Do these people not know that God is judge: he puts down and he exalts (Psalm 75:7)?

I'm not against churches collecting money to produce quality resources, but at the end of the day, the early church in the first century and the Chinese church in the last century exploded to gargantuan proportions with a few pennies and dusty sandals.

Is it really in good taste for music shops and bookstores to occupy church foyers?

...Then Jesus having gone into the temple, He began to be casting out the ones selling and buying in the temple. And He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of the ones selling the doves. And He was not allowing that anyone should carry merchandise through the temple. Then He began teaching [them], saying to them, "Has it not been written, 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations?' [Isaiah 56:7] But you* made it a 'hideout for robbers!'" [Jer 7:11] -- Mark 11:15-17

Interestingly, this is even how Zechariah concludes his book. The very last verse reads...

And every cooking pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to Yahweh of hosts, and all those who sacrifice will come and will take from them, and will cook in them, and there will be no longer a trader [LEB footnote: Literally "Canaanite" (Canaanites, especially Phoenicians, were merchants and traders)] in the house of Yahweh of hosts on that day. -- 14:21 (LEB)

|7| And behold, a disk [i.e., "lid"] of lead [is] lifted up and this -- one woman -- [is] sitting in the midst of the ephah.

|8| And he said, This [is] the wickedness! And he cast her unto the midst of the ephah, and cast the stone of the lead unto its opening [or, "her mouth"].

Notes:

*This is remarkably fascinating symbolism. In Revelation 17 a sinful woman, a picture of false religion, is said to be riding the antichristian beast. This is seen by most conservative commentators as a massive false church/religion that will have a strong influence upon the expansion of the kingdom of the Beast (Revelation 13:11-18 says the same thing). Yet here the woman is trapped in the ephah. She's not riding anything anymore; but rather, like the Levite stolen by the Danites in Judges 18, she is taken captive to another place, far from the land of Israel...

Young children [or, Dear children], it is the last hour. And just as you* heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now antichrists have become many [or, many antichrists have appeared], for which reason we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they were of us, they would have remained with us; but [they went out] so that they should be revealed that they are not all of us [or, they all are not of us]. -- 1 John 2:18-19

This woman is as Jezebel. For Jehu commanded that this idolatrous queen be cast down and afterwards her flesh was eaten by dogs (2 Kings 9:10). Even so Babylon, the false church, will fall...

And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the prostitute and will make her having been laid waste and will make her naked, and they will eat her flesh and will burn her in fire. -- Revelation 17:16

Most commentators tie this false religion in with a city that itself may be destroyed; most pick Rome, while some pick Jerusalem. When the flesh of this false religion is eaten and the abomination of desolation is set up, it will indeed be the last hour and time to flee to the hills.

The point is, false religion may think to rule the nations; in reality, she will ultimately be ruled, subjugated, and deported into pagan Babylon for her troubles. The church can't steer the world through political influence; such efforts always have a bitter ending.

*Lead is from the Hebrew term that means dry earth/dust; perhaps this is a connotative reference to the false prophet arising from the earth as Adam (Revelation 13:11). The first Adam was placed in paradise; the last one will bask in Babylon.

|9| And I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, two women [are] going forth, and a wind [or, "spirit"] [was] in their wings, and unto them [were] wings like the wings of the stork, and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and between the heavens.

Notes:

*Feinberg said...

The stork has long and wide wings and is a migratory bird (Jer 8:7). Those acquainted with the habits of this bird inform us that in its annual migration, the stork actually traverses a longer distance than that from Judea to Shinar. Every feature of the vision, then, serves to further the deportation of the ephah from the midst of Israel.28

*The fact that the stork is ceremonially unclean (cf. Leviticus 11:19) is oft-noted by commentators. I normally wouldn't put much weight in that symbolically (for unclean eagles are sometimes used to depict God's care); yet in Revelation 18:2 Babylon is indeed called "a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean [or, defiling] spirit and a prison of every unclean and having been detested bird."

|10| And I said to the angel speaking with me, Where [are] they moving the ephah?

Notes:

*There certainly is an historic element to the last three dreams. Dream six could be seen as Nebuchadnezzar sacking Jerusalem after the preaching of Jeremiah. Dream seven could be seen as the captivity of Judah unto Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon. Dream eight could be seen as Darius putting down the rebellions of a conquered Babylon. Yet the best reason why all these historic allusions are spoken of in a prophecy-sequence is that such things will be repeated.

|11| And he said to me, To build for it a house in the land of Shinar; and it will be made ready -- then it will be set down there on its base [or, "resting place"].

Notes:

*The Lord Jesus Christ went away to prepare a heavenly city for his bride (John 14). He will also prepare a place for Israel in the wilderness (Revelation 12). The beasts of Revelation 13 will build a centre of damnation (no one knows where for sure, although because of the word "Shinar," Iraq is a favourite speculation). The Babylon mentioned here is the last great centre of evil commerce. It is a representative embodiment of sin's global tyranny, the rebellion against God that has been going on since the early pages of Genesis. Just like the scapegoat, God will allow this metropolis to survive in order to give the believing onlookers an example of the holy judgment of God (just as Abraham was given the example of the burning Sodom).

So now we're ready to move on to the final leg of this commentary, chapter 6, which gives us the last dream and the epilogue. Before doing this however I'd like to take a break with the flow in order to discuss a current event. I bring it up here because it is a subject that is never too far from my mind, and Zechariah's flying ephah reminds me of it. The subject is ufology.

I've been fascinated to watch a slow convergence of conspiracy theorists with scientists desperate to reinterpret the universe in terms of Darwinian evolution. I believe that unbeknownst to them, they are both building a giant false religion that could have powerful explanatory powers for end time events. Scientific popular culture is beginning to question if alien elements are floating here from some advanced civilization or if distant pulses are too exotic to be chance, etc. Why all the fuss? It's not a matter of new evidence (not largely anyway). It's a matter of worldview. The alien issue is quickly becoming another divide between conservative and liberal.

You see, to the evolutionist, not only should the universe be teeming with life, but the fact that it isn't is a fairly significant problem...

So far, no one has discovered life on other planets or detected any radio signals from intelligent aliens. This is certainly what a biblical creationist would expect. Secular astronomers continue to search for life on other worlds, but they have found only rocks and inanimate matter. Their radio searches are met with silence. The real world is the biblical world -- a universe designed by God with the earth at the spiritual focal point, not an evolutionary universe teeming with life.

When it comes to extraterrestrial life, science is diametrically opposed to the evolutionary mentality. We currently have no evidence of alien life-forms. This problem is not lost on the secular scientists. It has been said that the atomic scientist Enrico Fermi was once discussing the topic of extraterrestrial life when he asked the profound question, "Where is everybody?" Since there are quite possibly multiple billions of planets in our galaxy, and since in the secular view these are all accidents, it is almost inevitable that some of these had the right conditions for life to evolve. And if some of these worlds are billions of years older than ours, then at least some of them would have evolved intelligent life eons ago. The universe should therefore have countless numbers of technologically superior civilizations, any one of which could have colonized our galaxy ages ago. Yet, we find no evidence of these civilizations. Where is everybody? This problem has become known as the "Fermi paradox."

This paradox for evolution is a feature of creation.29

What sells evolution and the big bang is the idea that creation appears complex but really isn't. Where conditions are right, life should just spring up without the Creator. This belief in the ease of life is a cornerstone of modern academia, as was obvious when Peter Atkins debated William Lane Craig in Manchester several years ago. Atkins, an atheist, evolutionist, and prolific educator, made some really absurd statements during this debate, such as that there really was nothing existing at all. (The best quote was: "There is nothing here. I will concede that."30) Craig, a theist and philosopher, answered cogently in the debate...

Moreover, if something could come into being out of nothing then it's inexplicable why just anything and everything doesn't come into being from nothing. Why is it only universes that pop into being out of nothing?31

It's hard to fathom that people who believe in the "ease of life" are the ones writing the textbooks.

Anyway, keep watching the headlines and the op-eds as we continually see warning signs of the weird marriage between conspiracy theorists and evolutionary scientists. When it comes to design and unexplainable power, the evolutionists have nowhere else to look.

X. Chapter 6:1-8: Zechariah's Eighth Dream

(The Kingdom Coming: The Four Chariots)

William MacDonald: God's patrols indicate Israel's enemies have been put down.3

John MacArthur: Vision 8 -- Four chariots (6:1–8), God brings peace and rest to Israel.4

We've arrived at the end. In the first dream horses patrolled the earth and the Angel prayed for mercy upon Zion. In the second dream a demonstration was given that the horns which have scattered Israel would be completely destroyed. The third dream attempted to measure a limitless Jerusalem, overflowing with the blessing and presence of Hashem. The fourth dream saw Joshua justified and clothed, with an engraved stone serving as his doppelganger. In the fifth dream a perpetual, vibrant menorah was showcased, with Zerubbabel and a plummet-tool serving as its doppelganger. In the two dreams on the other side of the redemption and enlightening of the kingdom, we saw sin purged and carried away to Shinar. Now that sin has been brought to one place, God can summon the cavalry; not the cavalry scouts this time, but the actual cavalry...

After these [things] I heard [something] like a loud voice of a large crowd in heaven, saying: "Praise the Lord! [Gr., Allelouia] The salvation and the power and the glory [are] of our God! Because His judgments [are] true and righteous; because He judged the great prostitute who was utterly destroying the earth with her sexual sin, and He avenged the blood of His slaves [shed] by her hand"...And I heard [something] like [the] voice of a large crowd and like [the] sound of many waters and like [the] sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying: "Praise the Lord! Because our Lord God, the Almighty, reigned [or, has begun to reign] as King! Let us be rejoicing and be very glad, and let us give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb came, and His wife made herself ready." -- Revelation 19:1-2, 6-7

It's time to overthrow the kingdom of sin so that the Age of the Messiah can begin...

|1| And I returned [or, "turned back"] and lifted up my eyes, and saw, and behold, four chariots [are] going forth from between the two mountains, and the mountains [were] mountains of bronze [or, "copper"].

Notes:

*As Barry Webb, I certainly see with these two mountains a semblance of the pillars at the Temple of Solomon. It's obviously not an exact match, for chariots can't really leave the porch of a Temple, but the reference is unmistakable. First the trumpet blasts of warning issued from the porch back in dream six, and now judgment precedes from it. Moreover, bronze is often a symbol of judgment in the Bible (such as the bronze altar). First were the sons of fresh oil to enlighten and heal, and now the brazen mountains give passage to the dusty death of a blitzing army.

|2| With the first chariot [there were] red horses, and with the second chariot [there were] black horses.

|3| And with the third chariot [there were] white horses, and with the fourth chariot [there were] strong, blotted horses.

Notes:

*The chariot horses here are similar to Zechariah 1 and also similar to Revelation 6, but none of these descriptions match each other perfectly. Like with the menorah, the differences in the designs are to showcase particular truths. We previously saw that the horses in Zechariah 1 were probably all red and white, symbolizing blood/warfare and victory/conquering. The only clues in the Scriptures we have to uncover the meaning of the other two colours seen here are very scanty. In Revelation 6 a black horse means famine, so that may be the meaning here. Probably it at least signifies that which is dirge-like.

The "strong, blotted" horses don't have their match anywhere in the prophetic Scriptures. The only parallel linguistically comes from Genesis, where a description of Jacob's spotted livestock also uses this word (see Genesis 31:10-12). The word "blotted" is interesting, being a close derivative of the more common term that means "hail." I translated the term "blotted," as such blotches on a horse might remind one of something that has been struck with hailstones. Maybe these horses are signifying the bolides and hailstones that will fall in the tribulation period, or the blotches and sores of disease (see Revelation 16 for an example of each).

No matter what they are particularly describing, because of the context and because of Revelation 6 we can be sure that they are bringing manifold judgments to a sin-ripen world.

|4| And I answered and said to the angel speaking with me, What [are] these, my lord?

|5| And the angel answered and said to me, These [are] the four winds of the heavens going out after presenting themselves before the Lord of the whole of the earth.

Notes:

*There is ambiguity with the term ruach in Hebrew. It can mean "wind" or "spirit," and so the four winds could be four spirits. The idea is the same either way. Winds move things, as do spiritual forces. So here we have mighty movements decreed by God, set to affect every direction of the compass. At the time of the end there will be a season of peace while God raises up a team of evangelists, and then the winds will be sent forth...

And after this, I saw four angels having stood at the four corners of the earth holding the four winds of the earth, so that a wind would not blow on the land nor on the sea nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun [fig. from the east] having [the] seal of [the] living God. And he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to damage the land and the sea, saying, "Do not damage the land nor the sea nor the trees until we seal the slaves of our God on their foreheads." -- Revelation 7:1-3

The winds going forth in Zechariah highlight the fact that there is no longer this restraint on God's wrath. This time was foreshadowed by Daniel, an emblem of imperial warfare...

Daniel said, "I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another"... -- 7:2-3

|6| That [chariot which] with it [is] the black horses [is] going forth to a land of [the] north, and the white ones have gone out unto their hinder parts; and the blotted ones have gone out to the land of the south.

|7| And the strong horses went out and sought to go to patrol throughout the earth/land; and he said, Go, patrol throughout the earth/land; and they patrolled throughout the earth/land.

Notes:

*The important thing to glean from this passage is that the various judgments shall affect various quarters differently. We should be somewhat cautious when expounding Revelation 6, 8-9, and 16, not to try to be too clever in rendering tallies and ultra-specific forecasts.

|8| And he called out at me and spoke to me, saying, See, the ones going forth to a land of [the] north have caused my spirit [probably in the sense of "that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation" (BDB); hence, "wrath" or "anger"] to rest in a land of [the] north.

Notes:

*Feinberg said:

The final word in this vision is given by the Lord Himself or the Angel of the Lord who indicates that those who have traveled to the north country have pacified His wrath there. The use of "spirit" in the sense of "wrath" is well attested in Judges 8:3; Ecclesiastes 10:4; and Isaiah 33:11. It is not, as suggested, that God was to cause His Spirit to rest among the exiles to stir their zeal for the rebuilding of the Temple and for the quickening of their hope for the future. We have a clear and pointed statement that God's punishment has already been visited upon Babylon; that it will rest there ultimately in the last days of Israel's national history we have already seen in the visions of the fifth chapter of our book. Babylon must be and will be judged before Messiah reigns in justice and truth.32

*Ezekiel provides a few verses that demonstrate how rest can refer to wrath...

Hashem says...

In your filthiness is lewdness. Because I [would] have cleansed you, yet you are not clean, you will not be cleansed from your filthiness again until I have spent [NASB footnote: Lit caused to rest] My wrath on you. -- 24:13

"So as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "surely, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable idols and with all your abominations, therefore I will also withdraw, and My eye will have no pity and I will not spare. One third of you will die by plague or be consumed by famine among you, one third will fall by the sword around you, and one third I will scatter to every wind, and I will unsheathe a sword behind them. Thus My anger will be spent [NASB footnote: Lit cause to rest] and I will satisfy My wrath on them, and I will be appeased [NASB footnote: Lit comforted]; then they will know that I, the LORD, have spoken in My zeal when I have spent My wrath upon them." -- 5:11-13

Note as well that Ezekiel's reference to judgment by increments is similar to what we see in Revelation 8-9 (and probably Revelation 6 also). The plagues upon the nations during the apocalypse will be meted out in precise portions.

*With this verse we have come full circle. In the first dream the Angel supplicated God. The nations were at ease and Israel was in tatters. Now God's wrath is at ease, resting on the rebellious, imperial oppressors. God will now bring in an overflowing of goodness and comfort to his people. Such is the theme of the epilogue.

XI. Chapter 6:9-15: Epilogue

(The Kingdom Come: The Branch is Crowned)

William MacDonald: A picture of Christ coming as King and High Priest, the ideal combination of church and state.3

John MacArthur: Appendix -- Coronation of the high priest (6:9–15), Messiah assumes the office of both King and Priest.4

Here is the last of the helpful quotes provided by Thomas Constable...

The position of this actual ceremony after the eight visions is significant. The fourth and fifth visions, at the center of the series, were concerned with the high priest (Joshua) and the civil governor in the Davidic line (Zerubbabel). Zechariah here linked the message of those two visions to the messianic King-Priest....Thus restored Israel is seen in the future under the glorious reign of the messianic King-Priest. -- Barker25C

The eight night visions have ended, but the coronation of Joshua is closely connected with these revelations which extend in scope from Zechariah's day to the full establishment of Israel in blessing. The crowning of King-Priest Messiah is thus set forth symbolically by the coronation of Joshua, which is not a vision, but an actual historical act, which evidently took place the day following the night of visions. -- Unger25D

The dreams are now over. Passover, the waiving of the omer, Pentecost, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur have all run their course. All that remains is for a redeemed world and a glorified Israel to complete the religious calendar by keeping the Feast of Booths (Sukkot). Significantly, this is the only holiday stressed by Zechariah in its concluding chapter....

Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths. -- 14:16

|9| And the word of Hashem came to me, saying,

|10| [Be] taking from with the captivity (from Heldai, and from with Tobijah and from with Jedaiah) and you -- you are to go in on that day, and you will enter the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah (they that have entered from Babylon).

|11| And you will take silver and gold and make crowns, and set [them] on the head of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the great [i.e., "high"] priest.

Notes:

*The people were admonished in Zechariah's introduction over their rebelliousness. The fathers didn't turn to Hashem, and his word of judgment overtook them. He told the people in 2:6 to flee from the land of the north, and that land was indeed destroyed in 6:8. Here are some of the exiles who are bringing God an offering from the north. All this is symbolic of the survivors of the tribulation period, who will be grateful for God's instruction and his sparing.

*These people who are coming in are strongly reminiscent of the magi from the East (who could have come from the same region as Babylon), bringing gifts at the birth of the Messiah, the one born King of the Jews.

*Barnes said:

The act of placing the crown on the head of Joshua the high-priest, pictured not only the union of the offices of priest and king in the person of Christ, but that He should be King, being first our High Priest. Joshua was already High Priest; being such, the kingly crown was added to him. It says in act, what...Paul says, that "Christ Jesus, being found in fashion as a man, humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him" [Philippians 2:8-9].33

*It can't be overstated how wonderfully affirming to a Christian this whole scene is. Popular Judaism repudiates the priestly office of the Messiah, but what of this priestly coronation? There is no explanation apart from Isaiah 53 and apart from Christian doctrine. It's not as if this is the only such occurrence in the Old Testament either. For Psalm 110 says concerning the Messiah...

The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet"...The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." -- verses 1, 4

*The symmetry in Zechariah is wonderful. The prologue is so similar to the epilogue. Another instance of this can be seen with proper names. The book started with Zechariah, Berekiah, and Iddo, all of whom seemed to have names with significant meanings. Now at the end of this unit there is another batch of proper names. If I tried to tell you what I think the names here mean in relation to the narrative I'd doubtless be charged with overreaching. Yet I will at least say this much...

The Lord himself brought the silver and gold of his redemption and divinity to the Temple, where he taught on a regular basis. The religious also accused him of being as Heldai (which normally is translated "worldly" by commentators). He was constantly accused of fraternizing with tax collectors and sinners. A few verses down Heldai's name is swapped for Helem, which doubtless means "dream." Joseph was charged directly with being a dreamer as his brothers saw him come from afar; they then decided to put him to death...

Now then, come and let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; and we will say, "A wild beast devoured him." Then let us see what will become of his dreams! -- Genesis 37:20

Joshua in dream four was also charged with being worldly, as he stood in fetid clothing. Zerubbabel meanwhile in dream five was equated with Seven Spirits, reminiscent of the dreams of Pharaoh (a mountainous obstacle).

|12| And you will speak to him, saying, Thus said Hashem of Hosts, saying: Behold a man, "Branch" [is] his name, and from under him[self] he will branch out, and he will build the Temple of Hashem.

Notes:

*Feinberg said:

The Targum, the Aramaic translation and paraphrase, renders the passage thus: "Behold the Man, Messiah is his name, who is to be revealed."34

*We've already noted how it is doubtless that Zechariah would have understood the Branch to be describing the Messiah. For example, I don't think anyone would dare to dispute that Zechariah was very familiar with the words of Jeremiah (cf. the 70 years in chapter 1); and it was Jeremiah who wrote...

"Behold, [the] days are coming," declares the LORD, "When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch [NASB footnote: Lit Sprout]; and He will reign as king and act wisely [NASB footnote: Or succeed] and do justice and righteousness in the land." -- 23:5 [on a side note, Isaiah, while prophesying of the Messiah's suffering, also mentioned his success: 52:13, 53:10]

*It might be argued that whenever a specific man is mentioned in this dream-portion of Zechariah, the Messiah is always in view. For the only other two times a specific "man" is indicated directly is the one who was among the myrtle trees and the one who measured Jerusalem.

*There is a question among dispensationalists concerning the Messianic Age Temple (as seen in Ezekiel 40ff). Who will build this Temple? Some say it will actually be built in the tribulation period. I say absolutely not. The Lord Jesus will build it when he returns, and this verse is proof. Whatever cucumber hut is built in the tribulation period is next to meaningless to God and will be destroyed. It's really doubtful if anyone could even fully understand the obscure architectural language of Ezekiel anyway; that task would require God incarnate! Also, although a physical Temple must surely be built truly to fulfil this passage, yet the Lord Jesus has constantly been building the more important spiritual Temple from the beginning.

*The walls of Jericho literally fell "from under it[self]" (Joshua 6:20) after seven days of the marching of Joshua. From under the root of Yeshua and his budding Seven Spirits, the City of God and its Temple will be built.

|13| Even he -- he will build the Temple of Hashem, and he -- he will bear [or, "lift up"] majesty and will sit and rule on his throne; and he will be a priest on his throne, and a counsel of peace will be between the two of them.

Notes:

*As is stated clearly in the New Testament [Hebrews 7], this was all prophesied to occur by way of type in Genesis 14 and by way of pronouncement in Psalm 110. Melchizedek, whose name means, "king of righteousness," was the priest of the Most High God who blessed Abram/Abraham. The Messiah was to come and be just like him, a king and priest of Salem (i.e., Jerusalem). He too will yet bless the nation of Abraham, and they too will partake of his bread and wine.

|14| And the crowns will be for Helem and for Tobijah and for Jedaiah and for Hen, son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the Temple of Hashem.

Notes:

*As I pointed out at the time, the fathers were chastised for failing to return to Hashem. His word overtook them, and they had to admit their defeat. Here men are bringing an offering that is meant to last, a memorial in the Temple.

*Josiah has now been called Hen, which is the word for "grace," and is the word which appeared back in Zechariah 4:7. Again, I think there are intriguing allegorical elements to all these names, but to Zechariah's listeners, Josiah would have made them think of the king of the same name who was one of the mightiest reformers in Israel's history. He reigned just before the captivity. Now his name is changed for "grace." It's a fitting hue, given that the violence that characterized much of the Old Testament is just about to give way to a much more gracious era under God's Messiah.

|15| And far off ones will come in and build in the Temple of Hashem, and you will know that Hashem of Hosts has sent me to you; and it will happen if listening you listen on the voice of Hashem your God.

Notes:

*Kimchi said:

Some of the Gentiles of the land shall come from a far country to build in the temple of the Lord...35

This is a wonderful observation from the rabbi and seems to be completely accurate. This pronouncement of people coming from afar pictures the gentiles who will contribute to the furnishing of the Temple under the Messiah's reign. This is explicitly declared before in Zechariah 2:11. He mentions this again later in his book...

So many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD. -- 8:22

And yet, hasn't this already begun, with the advent of gentile Christianity?

*At the very end obedience is urged. A call to submission to God's law is how this whole sequence began in the prologue as well, for:

How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, who seek Him with all [their] heart. -- Psalm 119:2

This is also the theme of our own epilogue...

XII: Conclusion

"...Today, we can say in no uncertain terms that we've made our union a little more perfect..."

These were the words of President Obama after the landmark decision of the Supreme Court to broaden marriage rights. I do not doubt that the president truly meant what he said; and in his worldview, such a statement made perfect sense. What worldview? I can only guess and say his religious nature is probably similar to most presidents of the modern era. I can only guess concerning the contents of his heart and say that within are probably two parts agnosticism and one part Judeo-Christianity of a very general nature. The problem isn't so much President Obama anyway as it is the millions of his liberal supporters who are of an extreme atheistic cast. They heard this statement and probably said "Amen" in their hearts, not realizing that such an assertion could never apply to their culture.

You see, President Obama's statement only makes sense if you have a tried and settled foundation that lends it the proper support. Christianity and Judaism have a philosophical foundation for their law that has stood the test of time. Our underpinning is the character of the God of Israel. He is holy and just and righteous and good. Therefore, what he decrees will certainly make society prosper. Moreover, not only will society function properly if his commandments are kept, but he will actively bless those who fear and reverence his perfect Word.

Here's the problem the irreligious have: you can pass a law and you can applaud liberal legislation, but what guarantee do you have that it will truly make your union more perfect? There is no guarantee. What President Obama was doing was heavily invoking God unawares. He displayed a belief that if the "right" thing was done then society would be better. But this can only be true if you were under the assumption that your "right" is the most conducive to goodness; without God to assure you that it is, you're doing nothing more than throwing caution to the wind.

Even those who are seen as being the bulwarks of this culture can scarcely be trusted, for all flesh is grass; how much esteem should it be given? There's not a more fertile branch of science to view the banality of man's brainpan than the field of astronomy. Grown men and women, "intellects," have resorted to alien life and multi-verses and non-existent reality, all in a desperate attempt to circumvent the Creator. When people with such an agenda are in charge with dispensing the facts, hope is bound to wither. For example...

There are...serious shortcomings in the big bang as a cosmological model. For example, in 1989 the COBE (COsmic Background Explorer) satellite was launched to measure slight temperature variations with position expected in the cosmic background radiation. After two years of data collection, it was found that there were no temperature variations within the predicted range -- the cosmic background radiation appeared perfectly smooth. Only after very sophisticated statistical methods were applied to the data did researchers find temperature fluctuations, and those fluctuations were an order of magnitude below those predicted by the standard big-bang model. Yet many cosmologists proclaimed this as a great triumph of the big-bang model. How did they do that? They used the observed temperature fluctuations as an input to re-calculate a new big-bang model. In other words, data used to guide the construction of the model were used as evidence for the model. This is classic circular reasoning.36

Zechariah's words on the other hand have been studied for over 2,500 years and have been proven to be true in mind-boggling ways.

In the latter portion of his book, he declared more about the Messiah. He said that he is equal with God (13:7), would be sold for 30 pieces of silver (11:12-13), smitten (13:6; 12:10), and open up a fountain for the cleansing of sin (13:1).

That offer is here today for anyone to accept. All God requires is that you repent of your sins and ask him for salvation, believing the Lord Jesus suffered in your place, and arose victoriously...

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins. -- 1 John 4:9-10 (KJV)

God is presently redeeming humanity, but soon must punish the persecutors of his people and the blasphemers of his dignity. We saw throughout the dreams his willingness to pardon and his promise of retribution. Time is growing short. Choose a side quickly.

On the side of cursing are illogical observations, circular reasoning, and wishful thinking. On the side of blessing stands God's promises, made plain through his faultless, efficacious Word.

XIII. Citations

1Feinberg, Charles L. The Minor Prophets. Chicago: Moody Press, 1948. (Approximately pg. 273)

2Webb, Barry. The Message of Zechariah. Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 2003. (Pg. 48)

3MacDonald, William. Believer's Bible Commentary. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995. (Pgs. 1160-1163)

4MacArthur, John. The MacArthur Study Bible, English Standard Version. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2010. (From the study notes to Zechariah)

5Kimchi, David and A. McCaul (Translator). Rabbi David Kimchi's Commentary upon the Prophecies of Zechariah. London, 1837. (Pg. 3)

6Stonard, John. A Commentary on the Vision of Zechariah the Prophet. London, 1824. (Pg. 50)

7Feinberg, Charles L. The Minor Prophets. Chicago: Moody Press, 1948. (Approximately pg. 276)

8Stonard, John. A Commentary on the Vision of Zechariah the Prophet. London, 1824. (Pg. 32)

9Pusey, E.B. and Albert Barnes. The Minor Prophets. London, 1860. (Pg. 518)

10Kimchi, David and A. McCaul (Translator). Rabbi David Kimchi's Commentary upon the Prophecies of Zechariah. London, 1837. (Pg. 29)

11Stonard, John. A Commentary on the Vision of Zechariah the Prophet. London, 1824. (Pg. 74)

12Feinberg, Charles L. The Minor Prophets. Chicago: Moody Press, 1948. (Approximately pgs. 280-282)

13Ibid. (Approximately pg. 281)

14MacArthur, John. The MacArthur Study Bible, English Standard Version. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2010. (From the study notes to Zechariah)

15Pusey, E.B. and Albert Barnes. The Minor Prophets. London, 1860. (Pg. 522)

16Stonard, John. A Commentary on the Vision of Zechariah the Prophet. London, 1824. (Pg. 144)

17Kimchi, David and A. McCaul (Translator). Rabbi David Kimchi's Commentary upon the Prophecies of Zechariah. London, 1837. (Pg. 35)

18Pusey, E.B. and Albert Barnes. The Minor Prophets. London, 1860. (Pg. 526)

19Kimchi, David and A. McCaul (Translator). Rabbi David Kimchi's Commentary upon the Prophecies of Zechariah. London, 1837. (Pg. 39)

20http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16207#showrashi=true [Accessed: September, 2015]

21Feinberg, Charles L. The Minor Prophets. Chicago: Moody Press, 1948. (Approximately pg. 289)

22http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16208/jewish/Chapter-4.htm#showrashi=true [Accessed: September, 2015]

23Pusey, E.B. and Albert Barnes. The Minor Prophets. London, 1860. (Pg. 527)

24Kimchi, David and A. McCaul (Translator). Rabbi David Kimchi's Commentary upon the Prophecies of Zechariah. London, 1837. (Pg. 44)

25Constable, Thomas. Notes on Zechariah (2015 Edition). Soniclight.com. [Accessed: September, 2015]

25AUnger, Merrill F. Zechariah. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1963. (Pg. 89)

25BVon Orelli, C. The Twelve Minor Prophets. International Critical Commentaries series. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1893. (Pg. 335)

25CBarker, Kenneth L. "Zechariah." In Daniel-Minor Prophets. Vol. 7 of The Expositor's Bible Commentary. 12 vols. Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein and Richard P. Polcyn. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1985. (Pgs. 638-639)

25DUnger, Merrill F. Zechariah. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1963. (Pgs. 109-110)

26http://www.chabad.org/holidays/JewishNewYear/template_cdo/aid/4830/jewish/How-is-Rosh-Hashanah-Observed.htm [Accessed: September, 2015]

27Kimchi, David and A. McCaul (Translator). Rabbi David Kimchi's Commentary upon the Prophecies of Zechariah. London, 1837. (Pg. 47)

28Feinberg, Charles L. The Minor Prophets. Chicago: Moody Press, 1948. (Approximately pg. 296)

29https://answersingenesis.org/astronomy/alien-life/are-ets-ufos-real/ [Accessed: September, 2015]

30Craig, William Lane and Peter Atkins. "Does God Exist?" University of Manchester (MP3 Audio File), 2011. (Approximately the 1 hour, 2 minute mark)

31Ibid. (Approximately the 13 minute mark)

32Feinberg, Charles L. The Minor Prophets. Chicago: Moody Press, 1948. (Approximately pg. 300)

33Pusey, E.B. and Albert Barnes. The Minor Prophets. London, 1860. (Pg. 536)

34Feinberg, Charles L. The Minor Prophets. Chicago: Moody Press, 1948. (Approximately pg. 301)

35Kimchi, David and A. McCaul (Translator). Rabbi David Kimchi's Commentary upon the Prophecies of Zechariah. London, 1837. (Pgs. 59-60)

36Faulkner, Danny R. "Fingerprints of the Divine Around Us." The Big Argument: Does God Exist? Green Forest, Arkansas: Master Books, 2005. (Pg. 36)

* * *

[Anything not here that bears my name I've discarded due to poorness of quality.]

Is the Bible Divinely Inspired? (Special Edition)

Dinosaur (The Bible's Forgotten Prophecy)

A Fortnight from God (A Dialogue with Dom)

The Mark of the Beast (Prophecy's Crown Jewel)

The Gospel Salvation by Grace

Zechariah's Dreamscape

Christmas in Eden (A New Theory of Adam)

A Biblical View of UFOs

Dystopia (A Christian Essay on Huxley's, Brave New World)

A Brief Look at Hell

Daniel and the Dhammapada Eastern Beauty and Ancient Prophecy

The Coming False Revival and the 144,000

A Biblical Survey of the Rapture (Predicting the Vanishing of Millions)

House of Abaddon (The State of Modern Science)

The Inferno: A Biblical Survey of Plagues

The Day the Sun Stands Still (A Translation and Commentary of Revelation 16)

Werewolf (A Biblical View)

The Future Implosion of Nature (A Translation and Commentary of Revelation 6)

Philippians 2:5-11 (The Bible's Hidden Gem)

How to Become a Christian (or, "Born Again," "Saved," "Converted," etc.)

Bible Prophecy Digest #1

The Book of Jonah (A New Translation and Commentary)

My Civil Disobedience... (An Open Letter to a British Journalist from a Fundamental Christian)

UFOs, Alien Abductions, and the Apocalypse: (The Case of Betty Andreasson)

The False Prophet (A Translation and Commentary of Revelation 13:11-18)

Coronavirus is Not the End of the World The Certainty of Eschatology

The War of Gog and Magog (A New Translation and Commentary)

Messianic Purim (A Short Commentary on the Book of Esther)

Evidence of Divine Authorship: The Biblical Account of Elisha

Biblical Demonology: A Scriptural Survey of Demons and Spirits

Christianity and Idols (A Sermon)

More Evidence of Divine Authorship (Biblical Numerology)

How To Teach Yourself New Testament Greek (Some Friendly Advice)

An Asteroid, A Comet, And The Coming Apocalypse

More Aliens and Evolution Bible Prophecy Digest #2

150 Days Later Fear of Zombies: A Christian Essay

Regarding Donald Trump (Or, Bannon Marches On)

Dear Rodrigo Duterte (Evidence of Divine Authorship in Isaiah 40-66)

"The Son of Perdition" (A Scriptural Survey)

Deliver from Evil? A Glimpse at the Catholic Abuse Scandal

Bible Prophecy: 22 Reasons Why Time May Be Short

To Any Jehovah's Witness or Mormon Upon Troubled Waters

The Necessity of Christian Crudeness (A Short Refutation of Ecumenical Efforts)

Indifferent Honest Christian Reflections on Hamlet

Bible Prophecy Digest #3 (November 10, 2018) Betty Hill and Harvard

Forensic Justification (A Commentary on Romans 3:24)

Prophecy and Pontius Pilate A Digest of Biblical Apologetics #1

The Fifth Dimension God and the Cosmos

Isaiah's Overlooked Declaration (Surprising Proof of a Theanthropic Messiah)

Demons in Devon (UFOs as Fairies) A Digest of Biblical Apologetics #2

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (A Bad Omen) A Digest of Biblical Apologetics #3

The Riddle of the Frogs (An End Times Essay)

The Nephilim/Fallen Angels (A Biblical Survey)

The Pope and Chinese Torture Camps A Digest of Biblical Apologetics #4

The Horns of Daniel 7 (Europe in Turmoil) Bible Prophecy Digest #4

Mary, a Mother Challenging Modern Dogma

Bad Blood, Royal Lineage Elizabeth Holmes, Cyrus, and King David

The Rising of Antichrist How Donald Trump Foreshadows The Coming Storm

The Confession of Judas The Plight of Muslims in Birmingham

Contortions of Truth Detective Amaral, and Madeleine McCann

The Hermeneutics of Jesus Christ A Messianic Survey from the Gospel of Mark

The Boasting of the Antichrist A Translation and Commentary of Revelation 13:5-6

Gleanings from Herodotus Christian Reflections: Book One

Oust Jerry Falwell Jr. and Crown Jesus Christ (A Commentary of Revelation 5:5)

The JFK Conspiracy: Christian Reflections

Bigfoot and the Bible: A Brief Essay

Philip Dick's Accurate Forecast "The Hanging Stranger and Demonology"

The Strange Story of Sampson (Evidence of Divine Authorship)

Who's Afraid of Trip Lee (A Lesson from Biblical Archaeology)

Darwin's Great Gaffe Further Proof of a Global Flood

Dagon Shall Arise Biblical Archaeology and the Book of Revelation

The Trouble With John Knox (A Warning Against Christian Nationalism)

Climate Change and Bible Prophecy

The Angel of the Witnesses A New Translation and Commentary of Revelation 10

Signs of the Times: Dawkins, the Pope, and UFOs

The Georgia Guidestones A Contrast to Biblical Prophecy

Touring The Animal Farm Christian Reflections on a George Orwell Classic

Christ's Journey to the Underworld A New Translation and Commentary of 1 Peter 3:18-22

The New Heresies of Pope Francis Shocking Denials from a Dubious Vicar

The Book of Joel Dedicated to Mesut Ozil A New Translation and Commentary

The Failing of Evolution And the Success of Prophecy

Daniel Chapter 3 A New Translation and Commentary

Paul's Mysterious Power in Corinth: A Translation and Commentary of 1 Corinthians 5:1-6

The Tower of Babel: A New Translation and Commentary of Genesis 11:1-9

1, 4, 9, 16...Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, and UFOs

Bible Prophecy in the Didache (And the Apostolic Fathers)

Gleanings from Herodotus Christian Reflections: Book Two

Shema Yisrael Jacob's Divine Messiah

