FAITH – HOPE – FORGIVENESS by Growing Older

Old Testament Survey: the Book of Zechariah

The Book Of Zechariah 

Introduction: Like Haggai, Zechariah was a prophet to the Jewish remnant that returned after the 70 year exile.  Much of Zechariah is to be interpreted in light of related prophecy.  This Book is surpassed in prophecies of Christ only by the Book of Isaiah.

The man and the Book: The name Zechariah means: remembered of the Lord.

His work began approximately 2 months after Haggai’s and their works parallel each other. Most of this Book is made up of eight (8) visions encouraging the rebuilding of the Temple and four (4) visions of the Messianic Kingdom.

Eight Visions

 

I.   The Rider On The Red Horse – Chap. 1

     A.  Vs 8: Myrtle Trees =  an emblem of peace; intimating that  all war  was to end shortly

     B.  Vs 8: The Man = Vs 9 “oh my lord”  “And the angel that talked with me …”

           Vs 11-12: the angel of the Lord. … This man is the pre-incarnate Christ, the second

           person of the Trinity.

     C.  Vs 8: riding = implies swiftness in executing God’s will in His providence; hastening to

           help His people.

     D. Vs 8: “in the bottom …” = in a low place or by the river bottom, as in “bottom land”.

          The Euphrates and Tigris River in Babylon, was the scene of Judah’s captivity.       

     E. Red Horse = this implies bloodshed – this implies the vengeance that will come upon the

          enemies of Israel.

     F. Vs 8: red horses “speckled and white” = the white implies victory and triumph for Judah

         Speckled = from a Hebrew word meaning “to intertwine” the red was mixed with the white

         which shows the  wrath (red)  about to come upon  Judah’s  enemies and “triumph” (white)

         for Judah.

     G. Vs 16: prophecy of the Lord’s return and the Temple to be rebuilt

II.  The Four Horns –  Four Carpenters – chap. 1:18- 21

      A. Vs 18:  Horns are symbols of power

           1. Four horns = the four (4) powers that had oppressed the Jews: Babylon, Persia,

               Chaldea, and Egypt.

           2. The head of each power is their king; so a horn  also represents the king of each nation

      B. Vs 20-21: carpenters = craftsman or an engraver. They work in brass and iron as well as

           working in wood.

           1. These are four other powers who would defeat  the powers represented by the four

               horns

           2. Vs 21: “these  are come to fray …”  the carpenters will “fray” or beat down, to destroy,

               the horns.

NOTES: God will always find men to do his work – there were horns to be cut off. Here are the carpenters or artificers; God will always find the right sort of men. God choose men of ability to empower them to do His will and to defeat the enemy..

God will always find enough men to do His work and His will. There were four horns, so are there four smiths to beat them to pieces.  Empires which have opposed the Lord have been crushed to powder, it always be so. No power can stand against the Lord of Hosts.    

III. The Man With The Measuring Line – Chap. 2

      A. The City of Jerusalem shall be (future tense) restored and made bigger or enlarged: 2:2-5

      B. Those Jews exiled will return to the Land: 2:6-7

      C. Jehovah God will protect His people and He will make their enemies a “spoil:” 2:8-9

      D. Many nations will be converted or joined to the Lord: 2:10-13

      E. Man with a measuring line: 2:1

          1.  He is also represented in Ezekiel 40:3 

          2.  He is found in Revelation 21:15 & Ezekiel 41:1-26

          3. There are several other Scriptures which represent this … The Man is none other than

              God Himself. The Jews are, here, encouraged to go forward with the building of the

              Temple and they are also encouraged for future restoration.

V. Visions Four Through Eight

      A. Four: Joshua, the High Priest and satan- chap. 3

           1. This pictures the removing of iniquity and the future glory of Israel

           2. When we stand before God, to serve Him, or stand up for God, we must expect to

               meet all the resistance satan’s subtlety and malice can give to us

           3. Vs 3: filthy garments = their removal is symbolic of the removing of iniquity from

              Joshua … representing his people.

      B. Five: The golden candlestick and the  two olive trees -chap. 4

           1. Vs 2: candlestick is light = Israel was to send forth the light of the Gospel;

               the Temple was to be rebuilt – vs 9 – so that the Word of God  could be sent forth as a

               light shining in a world full of the darkness of sin.

           2. Vs 11-14: reference to Revelation 11:3-4

      C. Six: The Flying roll; 5:1-4

           1. This represents the Word of God that judges

           2. Vs 2: 30’ X 14’

           3. Vs 4: The Word of God goes against sin and wickedness

      D. Seven: the “epah” vs 6, was the old time Jewish symbol for trade and the woman,

           1. Vs 7: the two women, vs 9; represent Babylonian corruption which leavened the

               commerce of the remnant that had returned. The two women, more specifically, are

               sent to carry away the corrupt woman.

           2. Vs 9: Stork = an unclean bird

      E. Eight: The Four War Chariots; chap. 6:1-8

          1. The judgment of the Lord upon the nations

          2. Vs 9-15: Joshua is crowned as a type of Christ … the immediate meaning of  that is

              simply: Jehovah God, as He sends forth His chariot judgment on the Gentile powers that

              surrounded Israel, has returned with mercies and gracious promises to His remaining

              people.

          3. Vs 1: four chariots represent swift coming, Divine judgment

          4. Four angels driving the chariots are  … vs 5, the four spirits of the heavens.

NOTES: The underlying idea that runs throughout this prophecy is summed up in chapter 1:14-16. This Book takes us to the immediate need of God’s people to the ultimate fulfillment at Christ’s second Coming. We also can realize why these passages are relating to the future is that when the Messiah came and offered Himself to His people, Israel, they rejected Him and crucified Him.

V.   The Law And The Restoration And Enlargement Of Israel: chap. 7-8

       A. To obey is better than fasting: chap. 7:1-7

       B. Their past misery was because of their disobedience: 7:8-14

       C. The people need restoration: chap. 8

VI.  The Four Visions Of The Messianic Kingdom: chaps. 9-14

        A. The Messianic King: chap. 9-10

        B. The rejected Shepherd: chap. 11

        C. The restored and penitent people: chaps. 12-13

        D. Summarized events when Christ returns in glory: chap. 14