Concluding the series of visions of the prophet Zechariah is a new image designed to mark the beginning of a different era, radically different from the previous one, in the spiritual history of Israel and all humanity. The prophet sees horses, a symbol of the military might of the ancient world. Horses were used almost exclusively for war: peaceful travelers...
Concluding the series of visions of the prophet Zechariah is a new image designed to mark the beginning of a different era, radically different from the previous one, in the spiritual history of Israel and all humanity. The prophet sees horses, a symbol of the military might of the ancient world. Horses were used almost exclusively for war: peaceful travelers and merchants made do with camels and donkeys. The clatter of hooves everywhere in the Ancient East was associated with the rapid advance of conquering armies. Only recently, Israel and the entire East had experienced the might of the Babylonian troops. Before that, the Assyrians came to Palestine from the north, and after them the Babylonians under the leadership of Nebuchadnezzar subordinated the whole earth to themselves. But Babylon itself was forced to open its gates to the armies of the Persians coming from the north. The north, where the prophet sees the movement of the mysterious horses, had long since become for the Israelites a sign of trouble, the land from which the conqueror comes.
But the Angel with whom Zechariah speaks reveals to him that there was also another meaning in this endless and rapid movement of armies. All of them came to the land of Israel because the people of God had turned away from their Creator. Mired in paganism and divided by everyday violence, they found themselves powerless before enemies. Only turning to God could save the people. Thus, involuntarily, the conquerors became an instrument that served the spiritual and moral purification of Israel. The "four spirits," as the Angel calls the horses seen by the prophet, recall what the Lord spoke of to the prophet Jeremiah before the Babylonian captivity: the conquerors are an instrument of wrath and purification in His hand, which directs the course of history. And now the prophet sees that these horses are returning to their place, so as not to disturb the chosen people anymore. The external threat has passed, and from now on other paths lead to the fulfillment of the designs of the Almighty.
Following this, the Lord commands Zechariah to perform a prophetic action to express the essence of the revelation. Many prophets resorted to actions of this kind, especially Zechariah's predecessors — Jeremiah and Ezekiel. It was Ezekiel who, speaking of the exiles in Babylon, turned to the image of refining silver. The Lord spoke through him that the precious metal of the faith and strength of spirit of God's people would be refined and purified from dross in the furnace of calamities and captivity. And so, in the next generation, Zechariah is to take pure gold and silver brought by the repatriates from Babylon, and cast a symbolic crown from them. The choice of this very material is meant to express that the purification foretold by Ezekiel has been accomplished.
But it is not a king the prophet will crown with this crown: he is to adorn the head of the high priest Joshua. Crowning the high priest, who took an active part in the restoration of the Temple, the prophet proclaims the great promise of God: "behold the Man, — His name is the BRANCH, He shall grow up out of His root and shall build the temple of the Lord. He shall build the temple of the Lord and shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on His throne; He shall also be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both." These words recall the promise to David, given through the prophet Nathan, that his descendant, the Branch from his root, would build the true Temple to God. But no less are these words of Zechariah connected with the words of the Lord Jesus Christ: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The image of the Body of Christ as the true Temple of God turns out to be deeply rooted in the preaching of the prophets.
The crowning of the high priest Joshua thus becomes a sign that the coming Messiah will indeed unite in Himself the priesthood and the kingship and will open a new era for Israel and all humanity. Returning to the beginning of the chapter, we can say that in this era of the New Testament it will no longer be the events of history, cruel and blind, that will be the instruments leading to salvation, but the Lord Himself will become the Deliverer of people.
6 The vision of the four chariots, representing God's government of the world, Zec 6:1-8.
Joshua crowned as a type of Christ, Zec 6:9-15.
6:1 Four chariots - Angels who are sometimes styled chariots of God.These as employed in the affairs of church and empire, act their part in the revolution and changes of things, 'till the gospel be preached by the Messiah, and the apostles. Of brass - These denote the immoveable decrees of God, his steady execution of his counsels and the insuperable restraints upon all empires and countries, which God keeps within the barriers of such impregnable mountains.
6:2 Red horses - Perhaps denoting bloody times, Rev 6:4.Black horses - Perhaps a time of mortality, and wasting diseases, Rev 6:5.
6:3 White horses - Signifying joyful and prosperous affairs, chap. Zec 1:8.Grisled - A mixt state of affairs.
6:5 These are - The angels of heaven, who have a great share in the management of the affairs both of the church and states.Of the heavens - Which reside in heaven, 'till employed, go thence when employed, and having done their work, return thither. Standing - They stand as servants attending the command of their Lord.
6:6 The black horses - The angels signified by the black horses are the executioners of God's just displeasure. Therein - In the second chariot. The north - country - Babylon. The grisled - The angels signified by these, managed the Roman power, which was sometimes favourable, sometimes fierce and severe, to those they had to do with. The south - country - Egypt and Arabia, which lay south of Judea. It may perhaps point at their invading Africa too, whose punishments were mixed, with kindness and mercy more than the punishments of Babylon were.
6:7 Sought to go - Waited for a commission. He said - Christ who hath all power in heaven and on earth. Through the earth - Thro' the rest of the kingdoms of the world remote from Judea, but not remote from God's wise and sovereign providence.
6:8 Cried he - Christ spake aloud, and called to him. Quieted my spirit - By doing what I appointed them in revenge of my peoples injuries, and by bringing my people back into Canaan.
6:10 Take - Of those that are come out of Babylon.Come thou - Go fetch them, if they lodge elsewhere.The same day - The same day in which they come.
6:11 Make crowns - One of silver, the other of gold. Set them - Put both of them, one after another. Joshua - Who herein is now a type of Christ, king and priest for ever for his people.
6:12 Unto him - Joshua, but in the hearing of others.Whose name is the Branch - Whom you know by the name of the Branch, who was called so long since. Thou, O Joshua art the portrait, he is the Branch itself. Out of his place - Of the tribe and family, and in the place foretold. He shall build - He it is, though unseen, that stands by you, who build the material temple, far inferior to the spiritual temple, which Christ will build, preserve, and dwell in for ever.
6:13 The glory - Of both kingly and priestly office; the glory of both those crowns shall abide on him. Shall sit - Which speaks both his royal magnificence, and the perpetuity of it. A priest - The great high - priest, to offer the great sacrifice to God, to make reconciliation, to intercede for his people. The counsel of peace - The peace made for God's people shall rest upon these two, the kingly and priestly office of Christ; by his priestly office he shall make their peace with God, by his kingly office he shall deliver them from their spiritual enemies.
6:14 The crowns - The two crowns before mentioned.Helem - These persons we know no more of than their names.A memorial - Of the Messiah's certain and speedy coming.
6:15 They that are far off - This verse hath a double reference, one to the Jews, and the building of the material temple, the other to the bringing in of the Gentiles. And this - The literal part shall come to pass in your day, if you will obey the voice of the Lord. The mystical part shall come to pass also, and, if you will believe and obey, the Gentiles shall come in and be your brethren, and help to build the temple, the spiritual temple. But if you rebel and obey not, you shall be cast out and the Gentiles be taken in, to be God's people.