Zechariah - Lesson One

LESSONS FROM ZECHARIAH

NUMBER ONE
The name Zechariah means 'God has remembered'. There were 29 men in the Bible with this name. This one is pointed out with great specificity lest there be some confusion.
Zec 1:1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,
His grandfather, Iddo, had returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian captivity during the reign of Cyrus, king of Persia, with Zerubbabel.
Neh 12:1 Now these are the priests and the Levites that went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,
Neh 12:2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,
Neh 12:3 Shechaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,
Neh 12:4 Iddo, Ginnetho, Abijah,
Neh 12:5 Miamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,
Neh 12:6 Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah,
Neh 12:7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the chief of the priests and of their brethren in the days of Jeshua.

Their enemies had tried to stop the work of rebuilding during the reign of Cyrus and Ahasuerus and finally accomplished their purpose in the reign or Artaxerxes.
Ezra 4:23 Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.
Ezra 4:24 Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

The purpose of the prophecies of both Haggai and Zechariah was to strengthen the people to complete their task and to give them hope and pride as they looked to the future.
Ezra 5:1 Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them.

The introduction to the Book is found in Zech.1:1-6, Following this, the book is divided into two main divisions.
Chapters 1 -8 are visions dealing primarily (but not exclusively) with the prophet's own time.
Chapters 9 - 14 are concerned with events of the end time culminating in the millennial reign.

INTRODUCTION;
Zec 1:1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,
He identifies himself, thus setting forth the authority of the writings. The people are aware of his credentials. He assures them of the divine source of the letter.

V-2 They are reminded of why they are in this predicament.
Zec 1:2 The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.
Deu 29:26 For they went and served other gods, and worshipped them, gods whom they knew not, and whom he had not given unto them:
Deu 29:27 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book:
Deu 29:28 And the LORD rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.

V - 3. They are shown the way out of the mess.
Zec 1:3 Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.

The only answer for any sin is repentance.
V - 4. You don't have to continue your father's mistakes!
Zec 1:4 Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD.

This is the application of
Ezek 18:2 What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?
Ezek 18:3 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.
Ezek 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Jer 25:5 They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever:
Mal 3:7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

V -5 - 6.. They are reminded that even though men pass away, God remains unchangeable. Zec 1:5 Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?
Zec 1:6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

There is no way to run long enough for a statute of limitation to take effect on sin.

VISION # 1. The horses among the myrtle trees. This occurs three and one half months after the introduction.
Zec 1:7 Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, This vision will give us the key to the rest of them.

V-8 -11.
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 show 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.

1.Horses represent military might. Foot soldiers were no match for mounted soldiers or for chariots.
2. Their color points to the way that power is used. a. Red pointed to a bloody use of force and great cruelty.
b. speckled illustrated a regime of peace mixed with cruel and bloody oppression.
c. White- with all opposition suppressed,there is an enforced peace.

This was the history of their captivity from the first invasion by Nebuchadnezzar until the time of the vision when they were at peace, but still dominated by Darius the Mede. While all the world is at peace, Jerusalem still lies waste and the temple uncompleted.
V -12.
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?

The man with the horses is an angel whom God had sent to lead and control the punishment of Judah.
Compare with; Judg 2:1 And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.
Judg 2:2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?
Judg 2:3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.
Judg 2:4 And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
God had used an angel at other times in the punishment of His people; 2 Sam 24:16 And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.
A. This angel intercedes for Jerusalem. He reminds God of the time He had set. Jer 25:11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
Jer 25:12 And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.

Daniel had discovered this truth a year previously. Dan 9:2 In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

During the 70 years they had fasted and prayed but they had not repented. Zec 7:5 Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?
Zec 7:6 And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves.
V -13 -17. Good and comforting words. Zec 1:13 And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.
This is the Theme of the Book..
A. God still cares. 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.

B. He will not fail to judge the enemies.
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.

C. The work WILL be finished. 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.

Chapter two deals with the line which is to be stretched-
V - 17. A grander fulfillment yet. 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.
Looking all the way to the millennium.

THE SECOND VISION; 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 showed 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.

A. These HORNS refer to the successive powers which have destroyed Jerusalem. Babylon, Mede-Persian, Greece, Roman.
The word horns used here, refers to a horn which was used to summon the people to assembly or to battle. The earliest such instruments were hollow ram's horns or SHOFARS. Later they were crafted from metal. Silver was the first choice.
Num 10:2 Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.

The carpenters of verse 20 are four craftsmen or smiths. Since the making of a metal horn is the work of a man, God also furnishes a man to destroy them. These represent the powers chosen by God to destroy those who destroy his people. This is in keeping with his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Gen 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Gen 27:29 Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.
Num 24:9 He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.

In spite of all the attempts of Satan to destroy God's people, God always has and always will, bring them through and keep his promises and carry out His objectives. This is as true for His church as for Israel.
Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
1 Cor 10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.