CHAPTER 1
(520 B.C.)
GODS CALL FOR REPENTANCE
1In 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 (the Book of Zechariah was written by the Prophet, probably at about the same time as the Book of Haggai, which was about 530 B.C. His and Haggais Prophetic Ministries would be the last, with the exception of Malachi, who would follow approximately 100 years later, after which Israel would plunge into a night of prophetic silence lasting about 400 years. The advent of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, would break that silence.
As well, it is believed that Zechariah was the one Jesus spoke of [Mat. 23:35], who was murdered by the sons of Israel. If, in fact, that was the case, counting Christ, Israel murdered two of the last four Prophets sent to them.
Zechariah began his Ministry some two months after Haggai began to prophesy [Hag. 1:1]),
2The LORD has been sore displeased with your fathers. (Their present disposition and the past captivity are obvious evidence of this sad truth.)
3Therefore say you unto them, Thus says the LORD of Hosts; Turn you unto Me, says the LORD of Hosts, and I will turn unto you, says the LORD of Hosts. (Thus says the LORD of Hosts, is used some three times in this one Verse, which signifies the Authorship of the Message. The words, Turn you, speak of Repentance, meaning sincerely and from the heart, and not only outwardly, in the renunciation of idolatry, as described in Verse 4.)
4Be you not as your fathers, unto whom the former Prophets have cried, saying, Thus says the LORD of Hosts; Turn you now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto Me, says the LORD. (The first phrase refers to the Prophets previous to the captivity. This would have included Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Joel, Amos, etc. But they did not hear, nor hearken unto Me, says the LORD, marks, sadly, the attitude of most. Men hearken unto other men readily, but little to the Lord.
The phrase, Turn you now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings, characterizes the result of True Repentance. Otherwise, it is not true!)
5Your fathers, where are they? and the Prophets, do they live forever? (The argument of the Verse is that both Preachers and hearers have died, but the Message of the True Prophets, being Divine, was not dead; therefore, the judgment predicted overtook Jerusalem and she was carried into captivity.
The question, Your fathers, where are they?, is meant to portray the sad conclusion of those who did not heed the Word of the Lord.)
6But 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 has He dealt with us. (But My Words and My Statutes, spoke of the Law of Moses and the Word of the Prophets, as given by the Lord. The question, Did they not take hold of your fathers?, rather means, did not the threatened chastisements, however long delayed, reach your fathers in the end?
The phrase in the middle of the Verse, And they returned and said, means only that the Jews to whom Zechariah was ministering turned so far as to acknowledge that the threats had been fully accomplished and carried out. It does not mean that, in their acknowledgment, they sought to do the Will of the Lord, which they obviously didnt in their long delay in rebuilding the Temple.)
VISION OF A MAN ON A RED HORSE AMONG MYRTLE TREES
7Upon 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 Message is given about three months after the Message recorded in Verse 1. Which is the month Sebat, refers to parts of our January and February. This was about five months since the building of the Temple, which, upon the Prophecies of Haggai, had been resumed. It seems that Haggai had finished his Prophecies by now, and Zechariah carries on the Revelation.
The first of his Visions will now commence and will show what is the nature of the restored theocracy, and what shall befall it),
8I 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. (I saw by night, simply means that the Vision came at night, and while Zechariah was awake. In other words, it was not a Dream, but a Vision. And behold a Man riding upon a red horse, is to be taken literally. The Man was probably a preincarnate appearance of Christ. These horses were spirit horses.)
9Then said I, O my Lord, what are these? And the Angel Who talked with me said unto me, I will show you what these be. (The question, Then said I, O my Lord, what are these?, refers to Zechariah referring to the appearance of this Being as Lord, proving Him to be Christ. The name or designation Angel, as used in the Bible, can refer to either the Lord, man, or Angels [as we think of Angels]. The proper understanding, as here, must be derived from the context.)
10And the Man Who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the LORD has sent to walk to and fro through the Earth. (These are they whom the LORD has sent to walk to and fro through the Earth, pertains to Angels, who were riding the other spirit horses, and who were sent forth as instruments to execute Gods Wrath upon the oppressors to whom He had committed the government of the world, but who, at ease themselves, were indifferent to the misery and ruin of Gods People. Even though the word Earth is used, it does not actually speak of the entirety of the Earth, but only the part that had to do with Israel.)
11And they answered the Angel of the LORD Who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the Earth, and, behold, all the Earth sits still, and is at rest. (The first phrase seems to imply that the One speaking to Zechariah, Who is the Lord of Glory, had not previously been with the others, but now joins them, in respect to information that will be given to the Prophet. As well, the designation, Angel of the LORD, Who was the Man riding upon the red horse [Vs. 8], further confirms this One as Deity. It is a term usually held to denote a manifestation of the Logos, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, namely, a preincarnate appearance of Christ.
And, behold, all the Earth sits still, and is at rest, probably means that the leadership of the Medo-Persian Empire, which then ruled the world of that day, little regarded the plight of the Jews in Jerusalem, but now would be stirred to action, which they were.)
JUDGMENT OF JUDAHS ENEMIES
12Then the Angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of Hosts, how long will You not have Mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You have had indignation these threescore and ten years? (Then the Angel of the LORD answered, seems to refer to a different Angel than the One mentioned in Verse 11. That Angel is Jehovah, while this Angel is one of the attending Angels on one of the other spirit horses.
The question, O LORD of Hosts, how long will You not have Mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah?, is asked that Zechariah may be given more information and that Judah would be comforted. The last phrase signifies that the Lord strongly desires to have Mercy; He was wanting the time period of some seventy years of chastisement to end, even more so than the people to whom it was intended, His People, the Jews. However, at times, the Lord can little show Mercy simply because of the apathy of Believers, even as is evidenced here.)
13And the LORD answered the Angel who talked with me with good words and comfortable words. (The answer of the LORD is in regard to the question asked by the Angel of Verse 12. Due to the people favorably responding to the prophesying of Haggai and Zechariah, at least at this time, the answer of the Lord will be good words and comfortable words, which the Lord desires to give to all, if Believers will only obey Him.)
14So the Angel who communed with me said unto me, Cry you, saying. Thus says the LORD of Hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. (The first phrase seems to present an Angel other than Jehovah, who will convey the Message of the Lord to the Prophet. The phrase, Cry you, saying, Thus says the LORD of Hosts, proclaims a Message of great blessing and prosperity. It is in two parts, with the second part found in the next Verse.
First of all, He says, I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy: this means that however humiliated the present position of His People, still, He loves them supremely. As well, the term implies ardent love, which cannot bear itself to be slighted, or the object of its affection to be injured, hence the term with a great jealousy.)
15And I am very sore displeased with the heathen who are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction. (The first phrase pertains to the present leader of Medo-Persia, who some time back had stopped work on the Temple. With this, the Lord was very sore displeased. For I was but a little displeased, is not speaking of the Persians, as the first phrase did, but instead of Israel. God had been angry with His People, but only in measure, chastising them and not destroying them.
And they helped forward the affliction, once again refers to the heathen, in this case, the Babylonians, who were used as instruments of God to bring about the chastisement. Therefore, they [the Babylonians] helped forward the affliction.)
JUDAH YET TO BE RESTORED
16Therefore thus says the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: My House shall be built in it, says the LORD of Hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem. (The first two phrases proclaim the fact that the Lord will now have mercies upon the city of Jerusalem. My House shall be built in it, says the LORD of Hosts, pertains to the Temple, which will be finished shortly; then Temple duties shall begin, which will restore Fellowship and Communion of the Lord with His People. Regrettably, the people, it seems, had not been too concerned about this.
And a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem, pertains to the ultimate destiny of Jerusalem, which actually speaks of the Headquarters of the Messiah, which will take place in the coming Kingdom Age. In other words, the Lord is addressing Himself to this city and to its present ruined condition, telling the people to look beyond the present and into the prophetic future. What they now see is not good, but what they then see will be Glory beyond compare.
The stretching of the line refers to the certitude of this coming action.)
17Cry yet, saying, Thus sa ys 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. (This prediction concerns the immediate future from Zechariahs day, but, more importantly, speaks of the coming Kingdom Age. In fact, Josephus tells us that in later times Jerusalem outgrew its walls and once again became a thriving metropolis.)
THE HORNS AND THE CARPENTERS
18Then lifted I up my eyes, and saw, and behold four horns. (Horns are symbols of strength and power.)
19And I said unto the Angel who talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. (These are the horns which have scattered..., speaks in the past tense, even though, at that time, at least two were yet future Rome and the Antichrist. In fact, one is still future the coming Antichrist. However, it is spoken in this way because, in the Mind of God, it is already a settled fact, and is decreed to surely happen. Therefore, it is spoken accordingly:
1. The first horn was the Assyrians, which scattered the Northern Kingdom of Israel;
2. The Babylonians destroyed Judah and Jerusalem in 586 B.C.;
3. The Romans destroyed Jerusalem in A.D. 70, which, of course, was then future from Zechariahs day;
4. The Antichrist is the one who will scatter Israel who is yet to come. After that their scattering will be over!)
20And the LORD showed me four carpenters. (These four carpenters represent four Divine Instruments or agencies raised up by God to overthrow these Empires, which will all be symbolized in the coming Antichrist. As to exactly who these four carpenters actually are, we arent told. They could be Heavenly Angels [Mat. 24:31; II Thess. 1:7-10], the Resurrected Saints [Zech. 14:5; Jude 14-15; Rev. 19:14], or Israel [Zech. 14:14]. However, the greatest Carpenter of all will be Christ, Who is the Head of all [Mat. 24:29-31; Rev. 19:11-21].)
21Then said I, What come these to do? And he spoke, saying, These are the horns which 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. (So that no man did lift up his head, refers to the helplessness of Israel as it regards these Empires, especially considering that they had cast away the Lord as their King, instead accepting Gentile dominion. Consequently, it was a sorry trade, with Israel suffering terribly so, even unto today.
But these are come to fray them, pertains to these four carpenters, who will defeat the Antichrist, who represents all of these Empires, at the Battle of Armageddon. To cast out the horns of the Gentiles, means the end of Gentile dominion; Jesus referred to it as the Times of the Gentiles [Lk. 21:24].
All of this will happen at the Second Coming, when the carpenters will cast out the horns of the Gentiles. Then Israel will be restored as the Lord intended at the very beginning.)