Through the Bible - Zechariah

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. (Zechariah 1:3)

A confused book of strange night visions becomes a clear overview of all history — and a call to turn back to the God who turns to us.

A Confusing Book with a Clear Theme

How many of you read through Zechariah this past week and were completely confused? You're not alone. These fourteen chapters are one of the longer minor prophet books, and when you read the visions of chapters one through six — visions that all seem to have come in one night — you almost wonder what the prophet ate the evening before to receive such things.

God was speaking through Zechariah to encourage the people in the land of Israel. This prophet spoke at the exact same time as Haggai. Haggai began speaking in about September of 520 BC and gave his last word in December — right around the time Zechariah came and began to speak to the children of Israel.

The Remnant Returned from Babylon

These were the people committed to the Lord, the ones who had returned from exile. Israel had been carried into Babylon for seventy years, and at the end of that time one of the kings of the Medo-Persian Empire said they could return to rebuild the temple. Hundreds of thousands went into captivity, but only about 50,000 came back. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah fill out the historical picture behind Haggai and Zechariah.

They returned under Zerubbabel, the governor, and Joshua, the high priest, for a specific task: to rebuild the temple Nebuchadnezzar had torn down. God had named the king who would let them return through Isaiah, in chapters 40 and 45, long before the exile even happened. But when this committed remnant came back, they got discouraged and left the work undone for about eighteen years.

A Physical Problem Reveals a Spiritual One

After eighteen years of the temple sitting unfinished, God spoke through Haggai, telling them to get up and work. But through Zechariah He addressed something deeper — their spiritual condition. Whether in our day or in theirs, a physical problem is an indication of a spiritual problem. The ruined temple and the destroyed city were just signs of the spiritual ruin that needed dealing with. And you have to deal with the spiritual before the physical.

We see this in the New Testament with the scribes and Pharisees. They had external righteousness down so well that everyone assumed they would be the ones to enter heaven. But Jesus showed them to be whitewashed tombs — beautiful outside, full of dead men's bones within. As He said in Matthew 5:20, "unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven." God changes us from the inside out.

"Turn to Me and I Will Turn to You"

So God called this remnant back to Himself. They were in the right location — the promised land — but their hearts were still wrong. Through both Haggai and Zechariah, He calls them to repentance.

The Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers... Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. (Zechariah 1:2–3)

Underline "the Lord of hosts" — it appears 46 times in these fourteen chapters. God reveals Himself again and again as the Lord of the armies. Three times in these two verses He calls Himself the Lord of hosts. The pattern outlines the whole book: Israel disobeyed, God punished them with exile, and now He says, "Turn to me, and I will turn to you."

This is the same truth in James 4:8: "Draw near to God and he will draw near to you." How? James gives the answer: "Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded." Zechariah 1:4 is a quick summary of every prophet's message from Isaiah to Malachi — and even to John the Baptist, the last Old Testament prophet: "Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings."

Saved by Grace, Not Because We Were Special

God rescued His people from Egypt not because they were special. We sometimes assume God looked at us and said, "What a good guy — I want him on my team." That's not how it was. Deuteronomy 7 says He didn't choose Israel because they were greater or best, but because they were the least and because He loved them.

God brought them into the promised land — cities they didn't build, vineyards they didn't plant — and how did they respond? Judges says they did evil in the sight of the Lord and served false gods. God kept pouring out grace; they kept hardening their hearts. So He sent prophets for hundreds of years, calling, "Turn to me." Deuteronomy 28 promised blessings for obedience and curses for rebellion, and Israel's history is a people living under the curses they brought on themselves — yet God in mercy kept calling.

Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever? But my words and my statutes... did they not take hold of your fathers? (Zechariah 1:5–6)

Your forefathers are gone, God says, and the prophets are gone — but My word remains, and now I'm speaking to you. God's word is always personal. We love to hear a teaching and think, "My sister needs to hear this" or "I hope my husband is listening." But God makes it personal: I'm speaking to you.

Who Was Zechariah?

We don't know much about him. His father was Berechiah and his grandfather Iddo. Zechariah was a common name — over twenty-five men in the Old Testament bear it. But Jesus mentions him in Matthew 23:35, where He rebukes the scribes and Pharisees, speaking of "Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar." It appears that after the temple was finished, this very prophet was martyred by the people. It's hard to imagine that this committed remnant, so soon after returning, would kill one of their own prophets — but Jesus endorses Zechariah as a prophet, and a martyr.

The First Vision: Israel Restored

I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees... and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white. (Zechariah 1:8)

In Scripture the myrtle — really more of a bush — is associated with the humbled children of Israel. Standing among them is one called the Lord, the angel of the Lord. As we study the Old Testament, this figure pops up repeatedly: worshipped in Judges, receiving offerings, appearing to Hagar, Abraham, Gideon, Samson's parents, Jacob, and Joshua. This is the pre-incarnate Christ. No man has seen God, but Jesus is the image of the invisible God, in whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

From among the myrtle trees He sends four horsemen into the world, who return reporting that the whole earth is at rest. God is not pleased: "I am jealous for Jerusalem... and I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease." His land lies in waste while the world sits comfortably. So He declares, "I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it." The focus of this first vision is the restoration of Jerusalem and the rebuilding of God's house.

The Second Vision: Enemies Judged

In verse 18 come two sets of four — four horns and four craftsmen. God tells us plainly the horns "have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem." A horn is a symbol of strength, so these horns are nations. Very likely they are the same four empires Daniel saw in Nebuchadnezzar's dream: the head of gold (Babylon), the chest of silver (Medo-Persia), the body of brass (Greece), and the legs of iron (Rome).

Then four craftsmen, or carpenters, come "to fray them, to cast out the horns." God will judge the nations that scattered His people — exactly as He promised Abraham in Genesis 12: those who bless you will be blessed, but those who curse you will be cursed.

The Third Vision: A City Without Walls

I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand... 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. (Zechariah 2:1, 5)

A man goes to measure Jerusalem, which "shall be inhabited as towns without walls." Now, Nehemiah came shortly afterward to rebuild the walls — so God is speaking beyond Nehemiah and even beyond Jesus' first coming, to a future day when Jerusalem will be protected by God Himself rather than walls.

We've seen the beginning of this. Since 1948 Israel has dwelt in the land, and Jerusalem was taken in 1967. But is the city safe and at peace? Not yet. Right now Jerusalem fulfills another Zechariah prophecy — it is "a cup of trembling" to the whole world. The three monotheistic faiths — Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — focus on that forty-acre plot called the Temple Mount. There won't be peace there until the Prince of Peace returns. The same measuring figure appears in Ezekiel 40, Revelation 11, and Revelation 21, preparing for a coming temple and the new Jerusalem.

The Fourth Vision: Joshua Cleansed and Clothed

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. And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan... is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? (Zechariah 3:1–2)

This is almost a courtroom. Joshua stands accused; Satan is the prosecuting attorney. We see this elsewhere — Satan is the accuser of the brethren in Revelation 12, standing before God day and night, as he does in Job 1 and 2. None of us would want that defense seat, because we have plenty of sin he could point out.

But who stands in Joshua's defense? "The Lord rebuke thee." Our defense attorney is the Lord Jesus Christ. We see the same rebuke in Jude 9, when Michael the archangel contends with Satan over the body of Moses and says, "The Lord rebuke thee."

Joshua stood clothed in filthy garments, but the Lord commanded, "Take away the filthy garments from him... I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment." Isaiah 61:10 declares the same: "he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness." Then God crowned him. What He did for Joshua, He has done for us — defended us, cleansed us, clothed us in righteousness we never deserved.

The Fifth Vision: Not by Might, but by My Spirit

And the angel that talked with me... said unto me, What seest thou? And I said... a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps... and two olive trees by it. (Zechariah 4:1–3)

When Zechariah asks what it means, the angel answers with the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:

Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. (Zechariah 4:6)

Zerubbabel was staring at a mountain of rubble, scratching his head, wondering how he could ever rebuild. God says it won't happen by his strength but by the Spirit. The word "might" speaks of collective strength — everything we can do together, arm to arm, in battle. The word "power" speaks of individual strength. Neither one can accomplish it. "Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain." His hands had laid the foundation; his hands would finish it.

This same word is for us. In Acts 1, just before ascending, Jesus said, "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you." When we look at our lives, our nation, the chaos and decay around us, we feel there's no way to fix it. But God says it's not by your might or your power — it's by My Spirit.

The Last Three Visions: Judgment on Sin and the World

In chapter 5 Zechariah sees a flying scroll, about thirty feet by fifteen, written on both sides — curses against those who steal and those who swear falsely. This is the law of the Lord going forth against wickedness.

Then he sees a basket, an ephah, with a woman inside and a lead disc over the top. The ephah and the lead weight relate to commerce and measurement; the woman pictures wickedness and idolatry. God packs up their merchandise and idolatry and ships it off to the land of Shinar — Babylon — to deal with it. Through these visions God shows He has judged their sin.

In chapter 6 comes the final vision: four chariots coming out from between two mountains of brass — and brass is the metal of judgment. The two mountains are likely Mount Zion and the Mount of Olives, with the Kidron Valley between. The chariots have red, black, white, and pale horses — the very imagery of the four horsemen in Revelation 6. From Jerusalem, God sends judgment into all the world.

Put together, the eight visions give the whole sweep: God restores Israel, judges their enemies, rebuilds the city and dwells in its midst, cleanses His people, pours out His Spirit, judges sin and idolatry, and finally sends judgment into all the earth.

Joshua Crowned: A Picture of the Branch

At the end of chapter 6, Joshua the high priest is crowned. Your buzzer should go off — under God's law, no one person was ever to hold the offices of prophet, priest, and king at once, because only Jesus Christ holds all three.

Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH... 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. (Zechariah 6:12–13)

A priest on a throne? This points to Jesus, the Branch out of Jesse, who alone is Priest and King. The crowning of Joshua looks forward to the day the Messiah will rule in righteousness.

Hypocrisy, Repentance, and Restoration

In chapter 7 the people ask about fasting, and God exposes their hypocrisy — they hadn't been fasting unto Him but for themselves (verses 4–7). He calls them to repent of their disobedience (verses 8–14). Then chapter 8 unfolds the glorious restoration of Israel.

The Messiah Rejected — Thirty Pieces of Silver

At His first coming, the Messiah comes meek and lowly, riding upon a donkey (Zechariah 9). Yet He is rejected by His people. Chapter 11 foretells His betrayal:

So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter... and I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord. (Zechariah 11:12–13)

Judas asked the chief priests what they would give him to deliver Jesus. Exodus 21 tells us thirty pieces of silver was the price paid for a dead slave. That is how Judas valued Jesus — the price of a dead slave. At His first coming He is not received, and a close friend turns Him over for that sum.

Looking on Him Whom They Pierced

Chapter 12 turns to the second burden — the day Israel will be delivered. After rejecting their Messiah, there is coming a day when they will receive Him. They will "look upon him whom they have pierced," and ask where He got the wounds in His hands, and He will answer, "Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends." The book of Revelation shows 144,000 men of Israel who will one day look on Him — cut to the heart — and recognize Him.

The Day of the Lord on the Mount of Olives

And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west... (Zechariah 14:4)

Chapter 14 describes the Messiah's return. His feet will touch down on the Mount of Olives, which will split in two from east to west, half moving north and half south. Interestingly, geologists say one of the largest faults runs right through the Mount of Olives. We will return with the Lord when this happens. "And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord." Living waters will go forth from Jerusalem, and He will reign.

The Whole Scope of History

The book of Zechariah gives us the whole scope of what was to come. Remember what your fathers did, God says — they rebelled and departed, so turn to Me and I will turn to you. We want to make sure we turn to the Lord, because that is the only refuge in that day. If we have turned to Him by faith, we will return with Him when He comes.

For all its strange visions, Zechariah is simply an overview of history in advance — and that's what prophecy is. It shows what will come to pass before it happens, and God proves Himself to be God by it. What other God can tell the end from the beginning?

Closing Prayer

Lord, we have run through this book so quickly tonight. I pray You would take what we have considered and cause us to dig deep into Your word. Plant in the hearts of every one of my brothers and sisters a desire to search Your word, to be Bereans, to rightly divide Your word of truth — workmen and workwomen not ashamed.

Your word says those who are asleep and grown lukewarm will be taken like a thief in the night, but we are not of those who have fallen asleep. Help us to be watchful, to understand Your will and that the times are short. Give us a hunger and thirst for Your word and for righteousness. As You told Daniel to seal the book because in the last days knowledge would increase, we live in those days, and we thank You that by Your Spirit You have given us understanding.

Help us to walk in righteousness. We thank You that You have clothed us with the robe of righteousness — we stand not because of how good we are, but because You have given us strength and have rebuked the enemy on our behalf. We praise You in Jesus' name. Amen.