The prophet Zechariah, whose book we begin reading today, lived at the very end of the fifth century BC. The book bearing his name...
The prophet Zechariah, whose book we begin reading today, lived at the very end of the fifth century BC. The book bearing his name contains two clearly distinguishable parts that may have been written by different people. The first eight chapters belong to a man of noble birth named Zechariah, who came to Jerusalem from Babylon with the first caravans of returning exiles. According to tradition, he lived a long life and died in Jerusalem as a member of the Great Council, the Sanhedrin. The second part of the book belongs, as far as one can judge, to an unnamed prophet who lived a century later, at the turn of the fourth and third centuries BC. Such a complex composition of biblical books is quite common and characteristic of ancient religious literature generally.
The first part of Zechariah's book was written soon after the return, while the new Temple was being built in Jerusalem. Under their leaders—Zerubbabel, a prince of David's line, and Joshua the high priest—the Jews who had returned from Babylon were restoring the ruined city and the whole country. Their efforts aroused the fury of neighbouring peoples, displeased that the Jews had settled in their land again; almost the same thing would happen here two and a half millennia later. Yet there was no unity even among the returning exiles themselves: many thought that the country's economic and military power must first be restored, and only then should religious renewal begin. Only the support of the Persian king Darius allowed the Jewish leaders to start building nevertheless.
Against this background, the Lord proclaims His word of mercy and comfort through Zechariah. The vision of the Angel of the Lord reveals to the prophet that God is ‘turning to Jerusalem with mercy’, that the city will be restored and the Temple will again become the place of the Invisible One's presence. But God's mercy is not like the attitude of Eastern kings towards their favourite viziers: at the very beginning of the chapter, the Lord says that His mercy cannot be received automatically. It requires people to turn to God: ‘Turn to Me, and I will turn to you,’ says the Lord. God's word through Zechariah calls the Jews to draw spiritual conclusions from the history of the captivity. Captivity and the country's devastation appear before us once more as a direct result of human sin, just as the prophets before the captivity had said. The fact that everything happened exactly as the Lord had announced through them becomes a seal confirming the truth of prophetic revelation. Now, too, says the prophet, God awaits the people's turning to Him, so that the Lord's comfort may become reality and the felled tree of Israel may grow green again.
The prophet says that the tragic events of the age do not accord with God's will; this is connected with the fact that in history God acts through people. ‘When I was only a little angry, they increased the evil’: this illustrates a very common phenomenon, when people who unconsciously, or even consciously, seek to carry out the Creator's will do it in their own way. How often we seek destruction when God wants only correction! This is precisely what Israel had to experience during the Babylonian captivity. But from now on the Lord speaks of a new era of history, when people will be led not by God's wrath but by the manifestation of His mercy.
1 A call to repentance, Zec 1:1-6.
The vision of the horses, Zec 1:7-11.
The prayer of the angel for Jerusalem answered, Zec 1:12-17.
The vision of the four carpenters, Zec 1:18-21.
1:1 In the eighth month - Two months after Haggai began to encourage the Jews to build the temple. Zechariah - Probably this is that Zechariah whom the Jews slew between the temple and the altar, Mat 23:35.
1:5 Where are they - But where are your disobedient fathers?Were they not consumed with famine and sword, as I threatened them?Do they live - The prophets died as others; they must not live always to warn you.
1:6 My words - The dreadful menaces which I spake. My statutes - The decreed judgments which I resolved to execute on them, which by my prophets I proclaimed. Take hold - Overtake as a pursuing enemy overtakes, and seizeth on his enemy. They returned - By this it should seem that Zechariah gave them time to consider what answer to give. So hath he dealt - It is true, as God said he would do, so he hath done against us.
1:8 A man - Christ Jesus in the shape of a man. Riding - In a posture of readiness. A red horse - This colour is a symbol of his coming to avenge himself on his enemies. The myrtle - trees - He posted himself in a convenient place to observe and be ready, among verdant, fragrant trees, emblems of the saints of God. In the bottom - This bottom or valley in which the myrtles grew, is an emblem of the church in a low, afflicted state. Behind him - Christ was, as becomes a captain, at the head, the rest, as his soldiers, are behind attending on him.Red horses - Horses and horsemen, and those are angels, ver. Zec 1:10.And the colour of these horses is red, probably denoting the bloody condition of states and kingdoms, by wars one against another when God punisheth his church, or when he avengeth himself. Speckled - Of a mixt colour; perhaps an emblem of affairs, not all dark, nor all light, such as those during the last seventy prophetic weeks.White - An emblem of the best days of the church.
1:9 O my Lord - This was Christ, the Lord of hosts.What are these - What is the meaning of these appearances.The angel - Christ, the angel of the covenant.
1:10 These - Horsemen, are angels, who are ministers of the Divine Providence in the government of the world.
1:11 Is at rest - All men sit still to take their ease. All is peaceable. This was the state of the empire which at that time ruled all.
1:12 Angel of the Lord - The angel, the Lord Christ.
1:14 Cry thou - Now publish what thou hearest, and assure my poor captive church, that God will do good for her.
1:15 A little displeased - With mine own people, that is, in comparison of the anger I bear against the Heathen.Helped forward - Attempted to destroy whom I would but correct.
1:16 A line - The builder's measuring line shall be stretched out, to mark out the walls, gates, streets, and houses in Jerusalem.
1:17 Through prosperity - Through increase of families, they shall send forth colonies, and plant new cities, and thro' increase of wealth, and cattle, be able to build their cities, and stock their colonies.
1:18 Four horns - Emblems of the enemies of the Jews.
1:19 The horns - Powers, states, and kingdoms, which have from all sides pushed at, broken and tossed my people. Judah - The two tribes.Israel - The ten tribes.
1:21 He - Christ. These - He first points to the four horns.But these - These carpenters are emblems of those instruments God will employ in breaking those destroyers. Who lift up - Who employed their arms and strength against the kingdom of Judah, to drive them out of God's inheritance.