STUDY THE BIBLE
31 (STB 31)
The main theme of the prophets
– NATIONAL DISASTERS AS THE RESULT
OF DISOBEDIENCE TO GOD.
In this case Zechariah says their
captivity was due to disobedience by turning a deaf ear toward God.
Prophets
were
chosen of God, to tell the certain
future before it happened, with prophecy. They would not predict
the future, as this would imply guesswork on the part
of the prophet. God simply
used these messengers, to tell what WOULD be happening. No guessing
needed!
The books of the prophets, Isaiah to Malachi, cover about 400 years, 830-430BC approximately, when the Hebrew nation was in decline.
THEIR MISSION AND MESSAGE
To try and save the Hebrew
nation from IDOLATRY and
wickedness.
Failing
this, to announce to the
nation, that they will be destroyed.
But not completely destroyed, as a remnant
(a few left) will be saved.
Out of this remnant will come a Person who will bring all nations
to God.
That person will be
a great
man who will one day arise out of the family
tree of David. The prophets called
him THE BRANCH. This family tree of
David, once the most powerful family in the world, was cut down in the days of
the prophets, and disappeared. But the family would come back
with this man
called THE BRANCH - THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS (Rev19:16)
Not even understanding the full meaning
and importance of their words,
the prophets were obedient.
There are three prophets whose mission were to
other nations other than Israel (ten Northern tribes) and Judah (two Southern
tribes), and these were JONAH to Assyria (Nineveh), OBADIAH to Edom (Esau)
and NAHUM to
Assyria (Nineveh).
16 PROPHETS
IN FOUR GROUPS
NORTHERN KINGDOM CALLED
ISRAEL had the ten tribes, and lasted about
210 years, and the prophets during this period were Amos, Hosea.
The destruction and captivity
Northern kingdom went from 734-721BC. They were taken to Assyria have
simply disappeared
from the face
of the earth.
SOUTHERN KINGDOM CALLED JUDAH had the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and lasted about
320 years, and the prophets during
this period were Joel, Isaiah, Micah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Habakkuk, Zephaniah.
The destruction and captivity
of the Southern kingdom, went from 606-586BC. Taken to Babylon. Invading
armies didn’t kill and destroy
everything at once,
but slowly strangled their captive nations,
with taxes, slaves
and goods. Under their
rule, they then left the very poorest in the land to
struggle on.
RESTORATION OF THE NATION made up of only Judah and Benjamin, NOW CALLED ISRAEL, happened from 536-444BC, and the prophets
during this period were Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.
OTHER NATIONS
were
ASSYRIA (Nineveh) with the prophets
Jonah and Nahum
and EDOM (Esau) with the prophet
Obadiah
THE 16 PROPHETS
ARE GROUPED AS FOLLOWS
Northern - ISRAEL |
Southern - JUDAH |
Other Nations |
Amos |
Before captivity |
Ninevah |
Hosea |
Joel |
Jonah |
|
Isaiah |
Nahum |
|
Micah |
|
|
Jeremiah |
Edom (Esau) |
|
Habakkuk |
Obadiah |
|
Zephaniah |
|
|
Before
& to Babylon |
|
|
Daniel |
|
|
Captives in Babylon |
|
|
Ezekiel |
|
|
Return from Captivity |
|
|
Haggai |
|
|
Zechariah |
|
|
Malachi |
|
TABLE OF KINGS
AND PROPHETS
ZECHARIAH
Israel had returned from captivity
in Babylon, building
the temple had started but had stopped. The two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah,
stir up
the people and get the temple finished.
THE BASIC TIME LINE
606 – 536 BC: 70 years captivity in Babylon
536
BC: Altar built for sacrifices and the temple work started
536 – 520 BC: 16 years of no work on the temple
520 – 516 BC: 4 years
Haggai and Zechariah get the temple finished
THEIR MESSAGE
Zechariah and Haggai
worked together. Haggai had been preaching for 2 months and the work on
the temple has started,
when Zechariah began. Haggai’s ministry
lasted about 4 months while Zechariah’s was about 2 years,
but they were both present for the 4 years while the temple was being
completed. Their message was Rebuilding
the temple
Prophecy
of a grand and future temple (being Jesus
Christ) Visions of the
coming Messiah
His Universal Kingdom
A DETAILED TIMELINE
536 BC 50,000 Jews, under
Zerubbabel, return to Jerusalem. (Read Ezra,
Nehemiah, Esther). 536 BC 7th month, they build and altar and offer sacrifice.
535 BC 2nd month, work on the temple begins
and is stopped.
520 BC 6th month (September), 1st day, Haggai’s 1st call to
build. (Haggai 1:2, 3-11) 6th month, 24th day, building begins (Haggai 1:14)
7th month (October), 21st day, Haggai’s 2nd call to
build (Haggai
2:1-9) 8th month (November), Zechariah’s 1st address (Zech 1:3-6)
9th month (December), 24th day, Haggai’s 3rd & 4th call to
build (Haggai 2:18,
20) 11th month (February), 24th day,
Zechariah’s visions (Zech 1:7-6:15)
518 BC
9th month (December), 4th day, Zechariah & fasting and compassion (Zech 7:1-14) 516 BC 12th month
(March), 3rd
day, the temple
is completed (Exra 6:15)
515 BC 1st month (April), 14th –
21st days, a very joyful
Passover. 457 BC Ezra comes to Jerusalem and makes
certain reforms.
444 BC Nehemiah rebuilds the wall 75 years later.
This is then the period of Malachi.
THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH
Chapter 1:1-6 The captivity was due to disobedience
Zechariah’s opening
message
comes between Haggai’s 2nd
and 3rd message,
and between the two verses of Haggai 2:9-10, when work on the temple was a little over a month along. The people had become disheartened. He
warns them about returning to the ways of their
disobedient fathers. He then encourages them with visions that
God had given him for
a wonderful future.
MEANINGS of the NINE VISIONS
Israel
the light of the world |
(1 vision) |
Candlestick & two olive trees (#5) |
Israel will be everlasting |
(1 vision) |
Horses
(#1) |
Other nations will be judged and destroyed |
(2 visions) |
Carpenters (#2) Four war chariots (#8) |
The world will also be judged |
(1 vision) |
Flying
roll (#6) |
The BRANCH
(Jesus Christ) will come |
(2 visions) |
Joshua (#4) Joshua coronation (#9) |
Babylon (Rome)
will be defeated |
(1 vision) |
Flying ephah (#7) |
Nations will join Israel |
(1 vision) |
Measuring line (#3) |
THE NINE VISIONS IN ORDER
HORSES – WAR. Israel was in
captivity but will
survive and prosper forever. The heathen are at ease and have afflicted Israel. Eyes
of the Lord are watching and
waiting, and he is displeased. (Zech 1:7-17). God is ready for war.
CARPENTERS - God DESTROYS other nations (Zech 1:18-21)
MEASURING LINE – other nations
will JOIN Jerusalem (Zech 2)
JOSHUA HIGH
PRIEST – the BRANCH
Jesus (Zech 3)
CANDLESTICK & TWO OLIVE TREES – Israel is a LIGHT of the world,
Christ will be the light
to the world will triumph
and can’t be killed. ELIJAH
& MOSES in the Tribulation (Zech 4)
FLYING ROLL – the CURSE of the law that will judge the whole earth
(Zech 5:1-4)
FLYING
EPHAH – ROME and Babylon
(Zech 5:5-10)
FOUR WAR CHARIOTS
– WAR and
judgment on the world
(Zech 6:1-8)
CORONATION OF JOSHUA - the BRANCH Jesus
(Zech 6:9-15)
Chapter Zech 1:7-17 VISION OF THE HORSES
(number 1 of 9)
Zec 1:8 I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon
a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees
that were in the bottom; and behind him were
there red horses, speckled, and white.
Zec 1:9 Then
said I, O my lord, what are these? And the
angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be.
Zec 1:10 And the man that
stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These
are they whom the LORD hath sent to
walk to and fro through
the earth.
Zec 1:11 And
they answered the angel of the LORD that
stood among the myrtle trees, and
said, We have walked to and
fro through the earth,
and, behold, all
the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.
Zec 1:12 Then
the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how
long wilt thou not have mercy
on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast
had
indignation these threescore and ten
years?
Zec 1:13 And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.
Zec 1:14 So the
angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith
the LORD
of hosts; I am
jealous for Jerusalem and
for Zion with a great jealousy.
Zec 1:15 And I am very
sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease:
for I was
but a little displeased, and they helped forward the
affliction.
Zec 1:16 Therefore
thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be
stretched forth upon Jerusalem.
Zec 1:17 Cry
yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My
cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD
shall yet comfort Zion, and shall
yet choose Jerusalem.
By
night God
comes as a thief in the night (1Thess 5:2) when man doesn’t expect it.
It is
the time when he asleep. Zechariah is a as man awakened out of his sleep (Zech 4:1)
A man God’s
operations will be down here on earth. When events happen in heaven,
men are
not mentioned Riding
represents a greater distance that can be covered. A walking
man covers small distance and he can become
tired. This horse, and the others mentioned, will be going great
distances
covering the earth, and not be tiring.
Red
horse represents
power to get men on earth to kill each other, as God will not be doing
the
killing. and also to take peace from the
earth. This horse, and man, has a
great sword, which he doesn’t necessarily use It’s God’s horse ready for war (Rev 6:4). Christ came on an ass,
a
symbol of peace and not war. This time God
comes is a man of war and ready for killing, on a horse. Israel were
told not
to go into Egypt for the horses
(Deut
17:16) as Egypt was a war-like nation. Israel was not to have the war
symbols
of horses. Why? God would
do their
fighting for them. God kills Egypt horses showing that God is more
powerful
than the war machine of the
pursuing Egyptian army and
chariots (Deut 11:4)
Myrtle stands
for permanence and a sign that
Israel will be everlasting (Is 55:13).
Trees –
there are many here. One tree would be enough, but God wants to show
his
overwhelming and abundant
love and
promise to Israel with many ‘everlasting’ trees. It’s a sign to Israel
that it
stands for everlasting, everlasting and everlasting and so on. As stated,
one ‘everlasting’ would
be enough.
Behind
him. The
man on the red horse is the main character here with power to induce
killing,
and to kill, and take
peace away from
the earth. The other horses behind him are God’s spirits that will walk
and
search out, and indeed survey, all parts of the earth.
In the
bottom represents
hid from sight (Amos 9:3). God is hidden from the sight of Israel. They
are
asking “Where are you
God? How long
will you not have mercy on Jerusalem? We have suffered for 70 years in captivity!” (Zech 1:12). God is waiting and will
not be pushed into action
against his own will.
Horses represent
God’s four spirits of the heavens (Zech
6:2-3, 5) that go into the four corners of the
earth.
Red
horses stand
for war, killing, no peace. The question is asked: “But why does the
Lord Jesus
Christ comes on a white horse? Shouldn’t
he be on a red horse (Rev 19:11)?
No. The white horse shows he is God himself as he is light and
in him is no
darkness at all (1John 1:5). However his clothes are soaked in blood meaning
he is WAR HIMSELF PERSONIFIED.
Speckled
horses represents Jacob
wages and inheritance (Jeremiah 12:9, Laban may have
robbed Jacob of wages,
and indeed,
the world may rob Israel, but Israel’s inheritance will be the world.
The
speckled horse says “The world is
mine. It is Jacob’s.
It is God’s. I am Jacob”.
White
horses represents
the righteousness of Christ, God himself, on a white horse, to judge
and make
war (Rev 19:11). White
horses
represent fine linen, white and clean, and these are what the righteous
saints wear (Rev 19:14).
The angel – God’s dealing
with Israel and the Hebrews
nation in the Old Testament, involves angels. Angels
The man – this is
another man, different from the one riding the red horse
Walk to
and fro through the earth represents
God searching for those who have a heart
toward him (2Chron 16:9).
God is not
running, he is patient and waiting, as he is biding his time for the
right
moment. The
angel of the LORD - is Gabriel who helps men understand visions
(Jude 1:9; Rev 12:7). The red, speckled
and white horses have returned
and tell Gabriel what they have seen.
All the earth sitteth still and
is at rest – this is explained
in verse 15 as “the heathen are at ease”
meaning they don’t care about the things of God and Israel.
How
long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem Then Gabriel asks the question of God as to
when he will show mercy
to Israel as they were in
captivity for 70 years. And indeed God gave them his anger, scorn and contempt.
Zion – Zion is God’s physical place here on earth,
generally represented as physical Jerusalem.
My
house – God’s
temple at Jerusalem. God will be merciful, he will make Jerusalem and
other
cities prosperous as he will choose Israel to be everlasting.
A line
shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem – this is explained in Zech 2:1-2. God is an
exact God and has already
determined the tiniest
dimensions of
Jerusalem and he will bring this to pass (Rev 11:1; 2; 21:15)
Chapter Zec 1:18-21
VISION OF THE HORNS AND CARPENTERS (number
2 of 9)
Zec 1:18 Then lifted
I up mine eyes, and saw,
and behold four horns.
Zec 1:19 And I said unto the angel that talked
with me, What be
these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered
Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.
Zec 1:20 And the LORD shewed me four carpenters.
Zec 1:21 Then said I,
What come these to do? And
he spake, saying, These are the horns
which have scattered
Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come
to fray
them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles,
which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to
scatter it.
Four horns – Horns represent the power of a nation.
There is the true horn of God (Ps 18:2) and then there are the false horns are the other nations that have
scattered the Jews around the world.
Carpenters are the builders
that will rip to shreds,
terrify and frighten
(fray) and cast out the other nations.
Carpenters will
also build David a house (2Sam 5:11)
Four - Christ
comes
from the 4th tribe of Judah. Four also represents the four corners of the earth.
Chapter 2 VISION OF THE MEASURING
LINE (number 3 of 9)
Zec 2:1 I lifted up
mine eyes again,
and looked, and behold a man
with a measuring line in his hand.
Zec 2:2 Then
said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure
Jerusalem, to see what is the
breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.
Zec 2:3 And,
behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel
went out to
meet him, 2:4 And said unto him, Run, speak
to this young man, saying,
Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude
of men and cattle therein:
Zec 2:5 For I, saith the
LORD, will be unto her a wall of
fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.
Zec 2:6 Ho, ho,
come forth, and flee from the land of
the north, saith the LORD: for I
have spread you abroad as the four
winds of the heaven, saith the LORD.
Zec 2:7 Deliver thyself,
O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter
of Babylon.
Zec 2:8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts;
After the glory hath he sent
me unto the nations which spoiled
you: for he that toucheth you toucheth
the apple of his eye.
Zec 2:9 For,
behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall
be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall
know that the
LORD of hosts hath sent
me.
Zec 2:10 Sing
and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for,
lo, I come, and I will dwell in the
midst of thee, saith the LORD.
Zec 2:11 And many nations
shall be joined to the LORD in
that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know
that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee.
Zec 2:12 And the
LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose
Jerusalem again. Zec 2:13 Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised
up out of his holy habitation.
Towns without walls – God is exact (see Zech 1:16) but Israel
will not need to defend
itself like other
nation’s cities, as God will defend them (Ex14:24)
The land of the north is Russia Gog of Magog (Ezek 38:2; Rev 20:8)
I have
spread you abroad as the four
winds of the heaven – Jews are in every nation of the world. God dispersed them everywhere after 70 AD.
Apple
of his eye – an apple is the
most nourishing of fruit. As the saying goes “An
apple a day keeps the doctor
away.”
Good nutrition will keep you healthy. Other fruit is good nutrition,
but apples
are the best. Israel is
not the banana
of God’s eye, as the pupil in the eye is not curved but round – just
like an
apple. Babylon represents captivity. Jerusalem is measured and has no walls, but God will be its wall.
God will protect
them.
They
shall be a spoil to their servants – Babylon was used by God to capture Israel but
Babylon
will be destroyed and all
those
nations that serve her. This will be Rome which is the whore of Babylon
(Rev
17:1, 15, 16; 19:2)
Many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day - Other nations
will come and join the Lord in Jerusalem (Rev 2:24).
Chapter
3 VISION OF JOSHUA THE HIGH PRIEST (number
4 of 9)
Zec 3:1 And he
shewed me Joshua the high priest standing
before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
Zec 3:2 And the LORD
said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan;
even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand
plucked out of the fire?
Zec 3:3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before
the angel.
Zec 3:4 And he
answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments
from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have
caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
Zec 3:5 And I
said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his
head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of
the LORD stood by.
Zec 3:6 And the angel of
the LORD protested
unto Joshua,
saying,
Zec 3:7 Thus
saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk
in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my
charge, then thou
shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep
my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.
Zec 3:8 Hear
now, O Joshua the high priest, thou,
and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for,
behold, I will bring forth my
servant the BRANCH.
Zec 3:9 For behold the
stone that I have laid
before Joshua; upon one stone shall be
seven eyes: behold, I will
engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
Zec 3:10 In that day,
saith the LORD of hosts,
shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine
and under
This is the
pre-vison of Christ
coming out of the line of Israel’s Levite priesthood, with Joshua (not
the
Joshua with Moses) being
the high
priest. The tribe of Levi was the 3rd tribe but Christ
comes out of the 4th,
and this means the sinful
garments of the earthly priesthood,
and indeed, the sins of the people, are taken away and replaced by the clean
garments of Christ. It is a picture of the
time when the sins of Israel will eventually be taken away (Zech 12:10) and before then, with the appearance of Christ, at his first coming,
on earth.
The pure mitre is
made like a
close fitting butcher’s cap or turban or headband, that covers the head
and hair, and is made up
of fine linen (Ex
39:28). As salvation is of the head (Eph 6:17), a fine, white and pure head covering symbolizes the pure and righteous salvation that can only be found with Christ.
The BRANCH is Christ
to
come
The stone represents Christ
as is a stone of stumbling (Is 8:14)
Seven eyes of the Lord search
and survey the earth (Zech 4:10) with great speed – they are running.
The vine Christ
is the vine
The fig tree is the covering
of Christ’s righteousness
Chapter 4 VISION OF A CANDLESTICK AND THE TWO OLIVE TREES
(number 5 of 9)
Zec 4:1 And the
angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep.
Zec 4:2 And said
unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon
the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon
the top thereof:
Zec 4:3 And two olive
trees by it, one upon the right
side of the bowl,
and the other
upon the left side
Zec 4:4 So I answered
and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying,
What are these,
my lord?
Zec 4:5 Then the angel that talked with me answered
and said unto me, Knowest
thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
Zec 4:6 Then he answered
and spake unto me, saying, This is the word
of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying,
Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of
hosts.
Zec 4:7 Who art
thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel
thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace,
grace unto it.
Zec 4:8 Moreover the word
of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Zec 4:9 The
hands of Zerubbabel have laid the
foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt
know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.
Zec 4:10 For who
hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and
shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with
those seven; they are the eyes of
the LORD, which run to and fro through the
whole earth.
Zec 4:11 Then
answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive
trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?
Zec 4:12 And I
answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive
branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out
of themselves?
Zec 4:13 And he
answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No,
my lord.
Zec 4:14 Then
said he, These are the two anointed ones,
that stand by the LORD of the whole
earth.
As a man that is wakened out of his sleep - It’s at night (Zech 1:7)
Candlestick
represents Israel
bringing light into the world and Christ
is the great light (Is 9:2).
The candlestick has 7 lamps and 7 pipes as seven is one of the perfect numbers
in the scriptures and stands for God. Although the physical
candlestick
Not by
might, nor by power, but by my spirit
God fought Israel’s battles and it was not of
their
power. Headstone Christ is the headstone
and the corner stone and the
stone that the builders rejected, but NEVER the capstone.
Two olive trees are Moses and Elijah
(Rev 11:3-4). Olive trees can’t be
killed. They survive
for centuries and
Zerubbabel
started to build
the temple when they first returned from Babylon (Ezra 5:2)
The plummet
– used in building
to get vertical and upright
structures. It’s a weight
on the string.
The
seven eyes of the Lord, along with the plummet, run to
and fro, in the world looking for
righteous and upright people.
Moses and Elijah are anointed with the oil of God. Christians today are
also anointed.
Golden stands
for God and the deity of God.
Pipes signify
that the oil flows from God into the lamps
and the anointed ones Moses
and Elijah.
Chapter Zec 5:1-4
VISION OF THE FLYING ROLL (number 6 of 9)
Zec 5:1 Then I turned, and lifted up
mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll.
Zec 5:2 And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is
Zec 5:3 Then
said he unto me, This is the curse that
goeth forth over the face of the whole
earth: for every one
that stealeth shall be cut off as on this
side according to it; and every one that sweareth
shall be cut off as on
that side according to it.
Zec 5:4 I will
bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the
house of
the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth
falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst
of his house, and shall consume it with the timber
thereof and the stones thereof.
Lifted up God is above and is in heaven. Men must
lift their eyes to God. God
looks down.
Roll is God’s
law Ezra 6:2; Isaiah 8:1; Jer 36:2; Ezek 3:1-3
A roll represents the roll upon which the name Mahershalalhashbaz which means Samaria,
the northern tribes,
will be taken away by Assyria (Isaiah 8:1). It represents the wrath of God.
A roll also
represents words that are written down
against Israel (Jer 36:2) Flying things are an abomination and a
curse (Lev 11:21; Is 14:29; Rev 8:13) Flying roll is something that circles the earth.
The
flying roll represents the porch before the
temple of the house (1 Kin 6:34) which was twenty cubits length and ten cubits wide.
On either
side of the porch were two pillars –
the right side was Jachin, which was son
of the tribe of Simeon and
the left side was Boaz,
who was a son of Abraham. Now Simeon was
So on both sides of the entry into the temple,
people were reminded
of the wrath of Christ and the future eternal salvation to be
found
in him.
Curse – the
flying roll is a curse as it is God’s law and the earth is being judged
according to God’s laws. 10x20 cubits = holy measurements ie 1Kings 6:3 measurement of Solomon’s temple porch; 2Chron 4:1 size of the altar of brass;
Ezek 41:2 holy
measurements of a door in the Millenial temple. Altar of brass (2Chron 4:1). Brass
represents a curse and
it represents the law for those that steal and swear false oaths Stealing and swearing – ‘stealing’ from God and swearing false oaths (not swearing as in ‘dirty’ words and talk). Thou shalt
not steal from God or others.
Chapter Zec 5:5-11 VISION OF THE FLYING
EPHAH (number 7 of 9)
Zec 5:5 Then
the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth.
Zec 5:6 And I said, What is it? And he said,
This is an ephah that
goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their
resemblance through
all the earth.
Zec 5:7 And, behold,
there was lifted
up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst
of the
Zec 5:8 And he
said, This is wickedness. And he
cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon
the mouth thereof.
Zec 5:9 Then
lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and
they lifted up the ephah between the earth and
the heaven.
Zec 5:10 Then
said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the
ephah?
Zec 5:11 And he
said unto me, To build it an house in
the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there
upon her
own base.
Ephah represents a symbol of measurement in commerce. A basket that carries grain.
Resemblance This basket
represents the earth
Lead is not gold or silver but worthless; heavy, and represents sin
Cast the weight
of the lead upon the mouth means the woman can’t get
out of the basket.
Storks are unclean birds
Lev 11:19, and a stork
in the heaven knoweth her appointed times (Jer 8:7). It’s now
time for Babylon (Rome)
to be revealed who she really is, as
she returns to her home in Babylon.
Birds represent sin
Woman is not
a virgin, wife or bride. Represent a sinful system. Represents Babylon
and
modern day Roman Catholicism that came
out of Babylon. Called
the whore of Babylon
(Rev 17:1, 5, 15) 16; 19:2)
Three women stands for triple Babylon – triple the whore of Babylon.
Shinar is Babylon Gen 10:10 Nimrod’s
land (Dan 1:1-2). It’s Nebuchadnezzar’s land, the king of Babylon,
the land of Shinar. The beginning of the kingdom
of Babel was in
the land Shinar (Gen 10:10)
Satan (indeed Judas) has his own place Acts
1:25
Her own base is in Babylon
This is where she came from and returns
to. A base from which to operate. Israel
has her own place in Jerusalem
(Zech 12:6; Rev 12:14).
Chapter Zec 6:1-8 VISION OF THE FOUR WAR CHARIOTS
(number 8 of 9)
Zec 6:1 And I
turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass.
Zec 6:2 In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses;
Zec 6:3 And in
the third chariot white horses; and
in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses. 6:4 Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord?
Zec 6:5 And the
angel answered and said unto me, These are the four
spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the LORD of all
the earth.
Zec 6:6 The black horses
which are therein go forth
into the north country; and the white go
forth after them; and the grisled go forth toward the south country.
Zec 6:7 And the bay went
forth, and sought to go that
they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence,
walk to and fro
through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth.
Zec 6:8 Then
cried he upon me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, these that go
toward the north country have quieted my
spirit in the north country.
Chariots
represent war
Four chariots
will go to all corners of the earth,
the four corners
of the earth
Two mountains in the Old testament
were Gerizim and Ebal (Deut 11:29) with blessings and cursings. It’s
gone beyond Israel now, with just cursings
for the world. There are no blessings to be had.
Brass represents judgment (Judges 16:21 where Samson
is bound in fetters of brass).
Ringstraked, speckled and grisled are Jacob’s
wages (Gen 31:10,12) Jacob’s (Israel’s) rewards.
These horses will
now take the
world for Israel.
Bay is a reddish brown colour.
Black horse to North
represents famine (Rev 6:5)
Quieted my spirit means God is now pleased
with the work of
the bay horse.
Chapter
Zec 6:9-15
VISION OF THE CORONATION OF HIGH PRIEST JOSHUA (number 9 of 9)
Zec 6:9 And the word of the
LORD came unto me, saying,
Zec 6:10 Take of
them of the captivity, even of Heldai,
of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, which are
come from Babylon,
and come thou the same day, and
go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah;
Zec 6:11 Then
take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest;
Zec 6:12 And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD
of hosts, saying, Behold the man
whose name is
The BRANCH; and he shall
grow up out of his place,
and he shall build the temple of the LORD:
Zec 6:13 Even he shall build
the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory,
and shall sit and
rule upon his throne; and he shall
be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between
them both.
Zec 6:14 And the
crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah,
and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the
son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of the LORD.
Zec 6:15 And they that are
far off shall come and build
in the temple of the LORD, and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. And
this shall come to pass, if
ye will diligently obey the voice of the
LORD your God.
Heldai one of the 12 captains that served David Tobijah
one of the chief Levites (2Chron 17:8) Jedaiah one of the priests
The BRANCH is Jesus Christ and he will build his temple, and indeed, he is the temple.
Helem 1Chron 7:35 mighty
man of valour
Hen son
of the prophet Zephaniah
They that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the LORD are those saved nations coming
to worship in Jerusalem (Rev 21:24; 22:2)
Chapters 7, 8 Questions
about fasting
Fasting has become
a mere
pretence for Israel. He tells of the future where the fast will not be
burden
but a joyful feast (Zec 8:19). God paints a picture where Zion’s streets
will be full of happy boys and girls along
with old men and women (Zec 8:3-5). All
nations will
be coming to the Jews to learn of their God (Zec 8:22-23, and Zec 1:17; Zec 2:4,11; 14:8, 16).
Chapters
9, 10, 11 God’s
judgements on neighbour nations
Chapter
9 – prophecy
of Judah’s struggle with Greece and Alexander the Great when he invaded
Palestine (332 BC). He conquered Tyrus (Read Ezekiel
chapter 26) and other cities
(v1-7) but he spared Jerusalem (v8). He prophesizes about Jesus Christ to come (v9-10).
Chapter
10 – is s prophecy for “the latter rain time” (Joel 2:23-32)
Chapter 11 – Cedar trees represent
Israel’s righteousness, and these trees will be burnt.
God’s anger against false
shepherds (v3-6)
The ark
of the covenant (Heb 9:4) which contained the ten commandments
(the two tables of the law), Aaron’s
budded rod (Aaron’s rod represents the law, and out of the law comes
Christ)
and the manna (Christ which
feeds
Israel in the desert) was carried on either side by two
poles or sticks covered with gold. One is called
Beauty and the other
Bands, with the former
representing God’s covenant with Israel, and the latter being the relationship or the brotherhood between
the Northern tribes
and the Southern
tribes.
God breaks both, to signify that the ungodly
line of the northern kings is finished,
when they were carried off to Assyria,
and the godly line with the Southern
kings is also broken, with the book of Malachi
being God’s last words to Israel for about 400 years. His total support for Israel will stop and collapse (v10, 14)
God presents
Christ (v12-13) and the idol shepherd, the antichrist
(v14-17). There
will be the true shepherd, Jesus Christ (v12-13)
There will be an idol shepherd,
the antichrist (v15-17)
Now God says “Israel,
what do you think Christ is worth?”
(v12a) They reply “Thirty pieces
of silver!” (v12b).
They continue “We would rather have the foolish shepherd, that will not feed us, he will tear us apart, and
then leave us!” (v15-17).
God says “I will not feed you,
and you will eat each other for food.” (v9).
WHO WERE THE THREE SHEPHERDS?
Three shepherds also I CUT OFF in
one month; and my
soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me. Zechariah 11:8. These three shepherds are
Eli and his
sons
Hophni, Phineas.
One month
From the time of
the prophecy
against Eli (1Sam 3:12-13), to the time of two
deaths in battle (Hophni and
Phineas), and the
third death ending with Eli falling
backwards (1San4:17-18), was one month.
They were false shepherds
Eli, the high
priest, and his
sons were false shepherds to the people, by not feeding the sheep. And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open
vision. 1 Samuel 3:1
The sins of Hophni,
Phineas
The sins of Hophni, Phineas, the sons of Belial,
were false sacrifices (1Sam 2:12,17); losing the ark in battle (1Sam 4:4, 11, 17),
and laying with women at the door of the
tabernacle (1Sam 2:22). But it was to Eli,
that God had said “… I will CUT OFF thine
arm, and the arm
of thy father's house, that there shall not be
an old man in thine house.” (1 Samuel
2:31)
The prophesied sin of Eli
In that day I will perform
against Eli all things which
I have spoken concerning his house:
when I begin, I will also make an end. For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity
which he knoweth; because his
SONS (Hophni and
Phineas) MADE THEMSELVES VILE (sacrifices
and women), and HE RESTRAINED THEM NOT. 1 Samuel 3:12-13
The end result
These three
shepherds were CUT
OFF. And the messenger
answered and said, Israel is fled before
the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter
among the people,
and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark
of God is taken. And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from
off the seat
backward by the side of the gate, and his
(Eli) neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and
heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years. 1Samuel 4:17-18
Child named Ichabod
And his (Eli) daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, was with
child, near to be delivered: and
when she heard the
tidings that the
ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were
dead, she
bowed herself and
travailed; for her
pains came upon her. And about the time of her death the women that
stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered
not, neither did she regard it. And she named
the child ICHABOD, saying, The glory
is departed from Israel: because the
ark of God was taken,
and because
of her father in law and her husband. And she said, The
glory is departed from Israel: for the ark
of God is taken. 1 Samuel
4:19-22.
Chapters 12, 13, 14 Vision of Israel’s future
Three chapters about the tribulation leading up to the battle
of Armageddon.
ZECHARIAH’S PROPHECIES ABOUT JESUS CHRIST
The two books of Haggai and Zechariah are about the temple being completed.
They contain many prophecies about
Jesus Christ who
is also called
the tabernacle
(Hebrews 9:11)
His atoning death for the removal
of sin (Zec 3:8-9; 13:1)
As a builder of the house of God (Zec 6:12-13)
His universal reign as King and Priest (Zec 6:13; Zec 9:10)
Triumphal entry
(Zec 9:9, quoted in Matt 21:5; John 12:15)
Betrayal for 30 pieces
of silver (Zec 11:12;
quoted in Matt 27:9,10)
His deity (Zec 12:8)
His hands pierced
(Zec 12:10; Zec 13:6, quoted in
John 19:37)
A smitten
shepherd (Zec 13:7, quoted in
Matt 26:31, Mark 14:27)
In
summary ZECHARIAH 520-516BC
THE COMING KING AND HIS HOUSE AND
HIS KINGDOM
Worked with Haggai for 4 years on temple
rebuilding.
Ch 1-6 Visions
of horses,
horns & smiths;
measuring line; Joshua
the priest; candlestick, two olive trees;
flying roll & ephah; four war chariots, coronation
Ch 7-8 Fasting
Ch 9-11 Other nations
Ch 12-14 Future.
He sees: 1. Calvary Zec 9:9, Zec 11:12-13
Antichrist Zec 11:15-17
Armageddon Zec 14:1-3
4. 2nd Advent Zec 12:9-14,
Zec 14:4-11
5. Millenium Zec 8:3-4, Zec 14:16-21
**** ****
www.
AustralianBibleMinistries
.com