EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries
Zechariah 1:1-21
God remembers his promises
Zechariah
Gordon Churchyard
‘The *prophet (Zechariah) said that these events would happen. And these events did happen.’
(Matthew 21:4) (A *prophet tells people what God is saying.)
About the Book of Zechariah
Zechariah wrote his book in the *Hebrew language. The *Hebrew word ‘zechariah’ (or ‘zachariah’) means ‘God remembers’. Zechariah was a *prophet. This meant that he did two things.(1) He told people what God was saying about the present time.
(2) He told people what God was saying about the future.
Zechariah 1:1 says that the *prophet was the ‘son of Berechiah, son of Iddo’. Ezra 5:1 says that he was the son of Iddo. This is a puzzle for Bible students. There are three possible explanations.
(1) Berechiah was the son of Iddo, who was therefore Zechariah’s grandfather.
(2) There were two Zechariahs. One of them wrote Chapter s 1-8. The other one wrote Chapter s 9-14.
(3) One of the names is a mistake.
These notes believe that (1) is correct.
Many Bible students think that Zechariah was a young man in Chapter s 1-8, but much older in Chapter s 9-14. They think that he came back from the *exile in Babylon about 530 *B.C. The *exile was when the King of Babylon made the *Jews live in Babylon in 586 *B.C. God punished the *Jews by the *exile because they had not obeyed his rules. ‘*Exile’ is when people live away from home. *B.C. means ‘years Before Christ came to the earth’.
In Chapter s 1-8, Zechariah helped another *prophet, Haggai. Zechariah started to *prophesy just before Haggai finished. ‘*Prophesy’ means ‘to tell people what God is saying’. Compare Haggai 2:10 with Zechariah 1:1. They both encouraged the leaders and the people among the *Jews. There were two main leaders. Joshua was the Chief Priest and Zerubbabel was the political leader. The *prophets encouraged the leaders and people to rebuild the *temple in Jerusalem. They told them to do this before they built the walls of the city and their own houses. This *temple was God’s house in Jerusalem. People met there to praise him. They also burned things to offer to God there. Soldiers from Babylon destroyed the old *temple in 586 *B.C. The *Jews finished building the new *temple in 516 *B.C.
By this time, Zechariah was older. Chapter s 9 to 14 are quite different from Chapter s 1 to 8. But they are very important. As Zechariah became older, he thought about the future. Much of what he said became true in the life and death of Jesus. This is why the *New Testament repeats so many verses from Zechariah Chapter s 9 to 14. It repeats more from those Chapter s than from most other books of the *Old Testament. It is probably true to say that you cannot understand Zechariah Chapter s 9 to 14 without the story of Jesus! That is why my ‘Something to do’ sections in these Chapter s ask you to compare *Old Testament and *New Testament verses.
Zechariah means ‘The *LORD remembers’. ‘*LORD’ is one of God’s names. Zechariah taught people that God remembers his promises. God made promises by his *prophets. One of these promises is that the *Jews would return from *exile. Also, that the *LORD would return with them to his *temple in Jerusalem. Here are some of the promises.
Isaiah 40:3 ‘Prepare the way for the *LORD. Make a straight road in the desert for our God.’ Isaiah imagines that God is travelling on a road. It starts from somewhere to the east of Judah and it ends in Jerusalem. There is a note on *LORD at Zechariah 1:1-2.
Ezekiel 43:4 ‘The *glory of the *LORD came into the *temple.’ Ezekiel imagines that God is coming into the *temple at Jerusalem. ‘*Glory’ is something that shines very much.
Jeremiah 29:10 ‘After 70 years in Babylon, I will cause you to return to this place.’ This place is Jerusalem in Judah.
There are three sections in Zechariah’s book.
Chapter s 1-6 Build the *temple. The *Jews had started to rebuild their *temple. They did this when they returned from Babylon. But other people opposed them. (See Ezra 4:4-5.) So the *Jews stopped rebuilding the *temple for about 15 years. They decided to build houses for themselves. (See Haggai 1:2-4.) Also, they wanted to build walls round the city to protect themselves. But in 520 *B.C., the *prophets Haggai and Zechariah urged them to finish building the *temple. Zechariah said, ‘Build the *temple first. God will protect you. You do not need city walls to keep out the enemy.’ Zechariah explained this by his 8 *visions. A ‘*vision’ is something that a *prophet ‘sees’. God shows the *vision to the *prophet. The *visions also say that God would take away *sin from the country. *Sin is our behaviour when we do not obey God’s laws. After the 8th *vision, God made a promise. He promised to put crowns on the heads of Joshua the chief priest and Zerubbabel the political leader. They would then rule God’s people together.
Chapter s 7-8 Obey the laws of God. Some of the 8 *visions also said that God had taken away *sin from Jerusalem and Judah. But now God’s people must obey God’s laws. This was more important than their *fasts. A *fast is to be sad and to eat no food for reasons of religion or health. First they should build the *temple where they could *worship God. After that, there must be social *justice. The notes explain the words ‘*worship’ and ‘*justice’.
Chapter s 9-14 God will send a *messiah who will be PRIEST AND KING. In Chapter s 1-8, Joshua was the chief priest and Zerubbabel was political leader. But one day God would send a *messiah who would be both priest and king. *Messiah is a word in the *Hebrew language. It meant a special leader. God’s *messiah would take away his people’s *sin and he would rule over them. Some of these ideas are in Chapter s 1-8 also. This gives unity to the whole book. Today, *Messiah, with a capital M, usually means Jesus Christ. ‘Christ’ comes from the word for *Messiah in the *Greek language.
God would do all this because of his promises. God remembers his promises!
Words in brackets … (…) … are not in the *Hebrew Bible. They are there to help us to understand what Zechariah wrote. The notes explain words with a *star by them the first time that we use the word. After that, please refer to the word list at the end.
Chapter 1
v1 The word of the *LORD came to Zechariah in the 8th month of the second year of (King) Darius. (Darius was king of Persia.) (Zechariah) the *prophet was the son of Berechiah. (Berechiah was) the son of Iddo. (The word of the *LORD) said that v2 the *LORD was very angry with your fathers. v3 And you (Zechariah) shall say to them, ‘This is what the *LORD of Everything says. Return to me’, says the *LORD of Everything. ‘Then I will return to you’, says the *LORD of Everything. v4 ‘Do not be like your fathers. The earlier *prophets spoke to them. They said, “The *LORD of Everything says this (to you). Turn back now from your evil ways and from the evil things that you do.” But they did not hear and they did not listen, the *LORD says. v5 Your fathers are (not here) now. The *prophets are (not) still alive. v6 All the things that I warned you about by my servants the *prophets actually happened. (They happened) to your fathers as I said! Then they turned back and they said, “The *LORD of Everything has done to us all that he promised to do. (He has punished us because of) the bad things that we did. And (he has punished us because of) our evil ways”.’
Notes
After the start of the book in verse 1, Zechariah began his book with a short speech in verses 2-6. It tells the people to *repent. This means ‘to be sorry’ for the wrong things that they did. Also, it tells the people ‘to promise to try not to do these wrong things in the future’. Zechariah did not use the word ‘*repent’. He used the words ‘turn back from your evil ways’. Before they start to rebuild the *temple, they must ‘be right with God’. This means that they must *repent. They must turn back to God from their evil ways. Then they will be ready to serve him.
Verses 1-2 ‘*LORD’ is a special word for God that his servants use. It is his *covenant name. A *covenant is a special agreement. God agreed to help his people if they obeyed him. ‘Obey me and I will be your God’, Jeremiah 11:4. But the *Jews did not obey God. This made God very angry with them. These *Jews were the fathers in verse 2. This really means fathers, grandfathers, and their fathers and grandfathers for many years in the past. This is true in verses 4, 5 and 6 also.
Zechariah started his *prophecy in 520 *B.C., probably in November or December. A *prophecy is the words of a *prophet. ‘The word’ that came to Zechariah is what God told him to say.
Verse 3 ‘Them’ in this verse is not the fathers of verse 2, but the people listening to Zechariah in 520 *B.C. The name ‘the *LORD of Everything’ comes three times in this verse. Zechariah says this to show that these are God’s words, not Zechariah’s words. Bible students often translate the *Hebrew name as ‘*LORD of *hosts’. A *host is ‘a lot’. It probably means ‘a lot of servants’. These servants are God’s servants. We cannot see them, but they are always doing God’s work everywhere. This makes God so powerful that he is ‘the *LORD of Everything’! In this verse, God is saying to his people, ‘Come back to me and obey me! Then I will come back (to you). And I will be your God and I will help you.’ If God’s people will keep the *covenant again, so will God. The *Hebrew word for ‘*hosts’ is ‘tsabaoth’. This is why God is often called ‘the *LORD of Sabaoth’. English translations leave out the ‘t’! A good translation of ‘the *LORD of Sabaoth’ is ‘*LORD of *angel armies’. *Angels are God’s servants in *heaven. *Heaven is the home of God.
Verses 4-5 The earlier *prophets included Jeremiah. These *prophets warned the people. God would punish his people if they did not obey him. But the people did not obey, so God sent them into *exile in Babylon. Verse 5 means that the people and the *prophets are now dead or in Babylon.
Verse 6 But, in *exile, the *Jews *repented. The actual *Hebrew word is not ‘*repent’ but ‘turn back’. It is the same word that is in verse 4. The word for ‘happened’ is ‘catch up with’. We can imagine that God’s words are running after his people. Then it is as if God’s words catch up with his people. This makes his people turn back. They cannot continue to run away from God. They are in *exile. But perhaps they did not all really *repent. Perhaps some people did *repent, and some people did not *repent. Some modern English translations do say ‘*repent’, like the Revised English Bible, the New Living Bible and other translations. Actually, if we return to God, we must do this first. We must *repent. We must be sorry for the wrong things that we have done. But we must also promise to try not to do them in the future.
Next, the *prophet describes 8 *visions that he had. They are in Zechariah 1:7-6. A *vision is something that a *prophet ‘sees’. It may actually be there, or it may be in his imagination. It may even be in a dream. In all these *visions, God is telling Zechariah something. Zechariah must tell it to the people. It is to encourage them in their work for God. Part of this work was to rebuild the *temple in Jerusalem. The *visions are there to encourage us in our work for God also.
Here is a list of the 8 *visions and where to find them:
| *Vision 1 | The man on a red horse | |
| *Vision 2 | The 4 *horns and the 4 workmen | |
| *Vision 3 | The man who is measuring Jerusalem | |
| *Vision 4 | The chief priest | |
| *Vision 5 | The *lampstand and the 2 *olive trees | |
| *Vision 6 | The flying *scroll | |
| *Vision 7 | The woman in the basket | |
| *Vision 8 | The 4 *chariots |
The notes explain the words *horn, *lampstand, *olive tree, *scroll, and *chariot. They are also in the word list at the end.
Most Bible students think that Zechariah saw these 8 *visions on the same night. It was the 24th day of the 11th month of the second year that Darius was King of Persia. That means that it was about the middle of February, 519 *B.C. Most Bible students think that the *visions connect together somehow. Unfortunately, they do not all agree how they connect together!
Here is one idea:
• *visions 1, 2 and 3 are about the return from *exile;
• *visions 4 and 5 are about the leader;
• *visions 6, 7 and 8 are about the removal of *sin.
Here is another idea:
• *visions 1, 2 and 8 are about the relationship of Judah with other countries;
• *visions 3-7 are about the future of Judah/Israel as a nation.
Probably both ideas are useful to Bible students.
Four *visions (1, 3, 4 and 5) also have messages from the *LORD. They are in:
• *Vision 1 - Zechariah 1:13-17;
• *Vision 3 - Zechariah 2:6-13;
• *Vision 4 - Zechariah 3:6-10;
• *Vision 5 - Zechariah 4:5-10.
Chapter 1 *Vision 1: The man on a red horse
v7 The word of the *LORD came to the *prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah. (Berechiah was) the son of Iddo. (The message came) on the 24th day of the 11th month. (This happened) in the 2nd year of (King) Darius (of Persia). v8 I saw (something) in the night. I saw a man who was riding on a red horse. He was standing among the *myrtle bushes down in the valley. Behind him were (other) horses. (They were) red, brown and white. v9 And I said, ‘My *lord, what are these?’ And the *angel that was speaking to me said to me, ‘I will show you what these are.’ v10 And the man that was standing among the *myrtle bushes spoke. And he said, ‘These are the ones that the *LORD has sent to watch the earth.’ v11 And they (all) reported to the *angel of the *LORD. He was standing among the *myrtle bushes. They said, ‘We have walked through the world. And (we have) seen that all the world is quiet and peaceful.’
v12 And the *angel of the *LORD spoke. And he said, ‘*LORD of Everything, how long (will it be) before you pity Jerusalem and the cities of Judah? You have been angry against them now for 70 years!’ v13 And the *LORD answered the *angel that was speaking with me. (He said) good words (to me). (They were) words that comforted (me). v14 And the *angel that was speaking with me said (this) to me. ‘The *LORD of Everything says this. “Announce that I have been jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion. (I have been) very jealous. v15 And I am very angry with the nations that have (feelings of) security. I was only slightly angry with (my people), but those (nations) destroyed (my people) completely.” v16 So the *LORD says, “Therefore I will return to Jerusalem with pity. (They) will rebuild my house there”, says the *LORD of Everything. “Also, (builders) will stretch a *measuring line over Jerusalem. v17 Moreover, shout aloud and announce this”, says the *LORD of Everything. “My cities will again be full of good things. The *LORD will again comfort Zion. (And the *LORD will) choose Jerusalem again”.’
Notes
Verse 7 In Babylon, the 11th month of the year was called Shebat. It is not an *Hebrew word. The 24th day of Shebat is February 15th for us. The year was 519 *B.C.
Verse 8 The rider on the red horse was probably an *angel. He sat on the horse while the horse stood still. There were probably more *angels on the other horses. Zechariah does not say how many horses he saw. Many Bible students think that Zechariah saw God (the *LORD) and his chief *angels in *heaven. They were making plans. The *angels were servants of God. Usually we cannot see *angels, but Zechariah did see them in his *vision. They were ‘among the *myrtle bushes down in the valley’. *Myrtle bushes have leaves that remain green all through the year. Their leaves have a pleasant smell when someone bruises them. They have white flowers in summer. *Myrtle bushes often mean Judah and Israel in the Bible. The man among the *myrtle bushes probably means that the *LORD will help his people.
The *myrtle bushes were in a valley, that is, a deep place. In the Bible, a deep place often means a place of trouble (for example, in Psalms 88:6).
Verse 9 ‘My *lord’ means ‘sir’. The word ‘*lord’ means 3 things in the Bible. Two are names for God (*LORD and *Lord) and one (*lord) is not a name for God. The word ‘*lord’ (with a small letter l) means someone in authority that you respect. Here it is the *angel that was with Zechariah. This was not one of the *angels on the horses.
Verse 11 The *angel of the *LORD was an important *angel. He was a leader of the *angels. He was probably the man on the red horse in verse 8. ‘All the world’ includes the nations that destroyed Israel and Judah. They were quiet and peaceful. As verse 15 says, they had (feelings of) security.
Verse 12 Now the important *angel speaks to the *LORD God. Zechariah does not tell us whether he can see God. The *angel tells God that his people have suffered for 70 years. Jeremiah had said that the *exile would last for this length of time. ‘This is what the *LORD says. “After you have been 70 years in Babylon I will come to you. I will do what I have promised. I will bring you back to this place (Judah)”.’ (Jeremiah 29:10)
Verses 13-15 There is an important word in this verse that Zechariah repeats in verse 17. It is the word ‘comfort’. It links with words that the *prophet Isaiah wrote. ‘ “Comfort, comfort my people”, says the *LORD (to his *prophets). “Speak to the people in Jerusalem. Say that they have received from the hand of the *LORD double (punishment) for all their *sins”.’ (from Isaiah 40:1-2) There is also something else that links verse 15 with Isaiah 40:2. God wanted to punish his people. He used Assyria and Babylon to do it. But these two nations punished God’s people too much. They hurt God’s people more than God intended. God’s people received ‘double punishment’, Isaiah 40:2. Bible students think that God (through Zechariah) is reminding his people of the words of Isaiah. This was because God was jealous for his people. He loved them and he did not want them to stay in Assyria and Babylon. We do not know how many *Jews returned from Assyria. They were from the northern country of Israel. But many returned from Babylon to the southern country of Judah. Zion is the name of the hill in Jerusalem where they built the *temple.
The *myrtle bushes were in a valley. But Zion is a hill. So God wanted to take his people from a deep place (that is, a place of trouble). And God wanted to take them to the hill called Zion, which would be a good place.
Verses 16-17 Here are God’s plans for his people:
• God will have pity on them and return to his people in Jerusalem.
• God’s people will rebuild his *temple.
• God’s people will build houses in Jerusalem again. The *measuring line was string. Builders used a *measuring line to work out where to build.
• Jerusalem and the cities of Judah will be full of good things.
• There will be much comfort for God’s people.
The *vision was for Zechariah, verses 8-13. The message was for Zechariah to tell everybody, verses 14-17. They had much work to do. Perhaps the thought of all the work depressed them. But God sent this message to encourage them. They would succeed because God was with them. Also, they were following his plans!
Chapter 1 *Vision 2: The four *horns
v18 And I looked up (again). Look! I saw four *horns. v19 And I said to the *angel that spoke to me, ‘What are these?’ And he said, ‘These are the *horns that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.’ v20 Then the *LORD made me see four workmen. v21 And I said, ‘What are they coming to do?’ And he said, ‘These are the *horns that scattered Judah. As a result, nobody could lift up his head. But these workmen have come to frighten them. They have come to destroy those *horns.’ (He meant) those countries that used their power against Judah. ‘They scattered (the people that were in) the country.’
Notes
Verse 18 The *Hebrew says ‘And I lifted my eyes’. This is an *Hebrew idiom for (way to say), ‘I looked up’. Zechariah says, ‘Look!’ He wants us to see in our imaginations what he saw. A *horn was a sign of strength. *Horns grow on the heads of some animals, like cows, goats and sheep. A *horn shows that an animal is strong and important.
Verse 19 The four *horns mean strong countries on all four sides of Judah and Israel. Assyria destroyed Israel 200 years before this *vision. Babylon destroyed Judah 70 years before. These, and other countries that helped them, are the four *horns. The other countries include Egypt, Moab and Edom. They were all enemies of Judah and Israel.
Verse 20 When people caught wild animals with *horns, they would cut off the *horns. This would stop the wild animal hurting them.
Verse 21 The workmen cut off the *horns from Assyria and Babylon. This meant that these countries would not be able to attack other countries. They would not be strong any more. If you cannot ‘lift up your head’ then you are humble and ashamed.
God chose the people from Israel and Judah. But they did the wrong things. God allowed other countries to punish them. Those countries are like the *horns. But God still cares about his people. He showed Zechariah that he had a plan to destroy those countries. And he would save the people from Israel and Judah.
Something to do
1. Read Zechariah 1:8-21 without the notes. Try to understand God’s plans:• to rebuild Jerusalem and the *temple;
• to destroy Assyria and Babylon.
2. Read about ‘the four men on horses’ in Revelation 6:1-8.
3. Read Mark 6:3. Now read it again, but put ‘workman’ for ‘carpenter’ or ‘wood-worker’. The *Greek word in Mark 6:3 is the same word as in Zechariah 1:20! Think about this.
4. If you can, find a map and look for ‘the four *horns’. These will be countries on the four sides of Judah. They include:
• south … Egypt;
• west … Philistia;
• east … Moab and Edom;
• north … Assyria and Babylon. (Both of these are north-east, but the road to them from Jerusalem started by leading to the north.)
But the *vision was not merely about these countries. It was about every country that opposed God’s people.
5. Study Isaiah 40:1-2. Which verses in Zechariah 1 does it make you think about? Learn to say Isaiah 40:1-2 by heart. (‘By heart’ means that you do not look at the words.)
6. Maybe you think that God has something for you to do. If you do, start by *repenting. The word ‘*repent’ means:
• ‘Think again’ … but think as God thinks!
• Be sorry for your *sins. And promise to try not to do them again.
• Then do what God is telling you to do!
7. If things depress you, read Zechariah 1:16-17. Then remember this. God will do everything that he has promised to do!
Chapter 2 *Vision 3: The man who was measuring Jerusalem
v1 Then I looked up (again). And, look, I saw a man. And there was a *measuring line in his hand. v2 And I asked (him), ‘Where are you going?’ He answered me, ‘(I am going) to measure Jerusalem. I will find out how wide it is. And (I will find out) how long it is.’ v3 Then look! The *angel that was speaking to me went away (from me). And another *angel came to meet him v4 and said to him, ‘Run! Say (this) to that young man. Say that Jerusalem will be a city without walls. This is because there will be a great number of people and animals in it. v5 And the *LORD says, “I myself will be (like) a wall of fire all round it. And I will be its *glory inside it”.’
Notes
Verse 1 Read again the note on the start of Zechariah 1:18. Also, read Zechariah 1:16. There, God promised that his people would rebuild Jerusalem. Now Zechariah saw a man with a *measuring line. The man was probably an architect or a builder.
Verse 2 The man probably was going to mark where the walls of the new city should be. Walls would make the city safe. Then nobody could stop them building houses for themselves and a house for God.
Verse 3 Zechariah’s *angel (chapter 1 verses 9 and 19) went to speak to another *angel. The other *angel had a message from God.
Verses 4-5 The message was for the young man with the *measuring line. The new city would not need walls! There were three reasons for this:
• God wanted anybody who wished to enter Jerusalem.
• God would protect them. So he would be (like) their wall, a wall of fire. And he would be their *glory.
• There were too many people to get inside the wall!
‘*Glory’ means ‘great honour’. God’s honour is so great that it shines like a bright light. The first *angel had to run with the message. Walls do not make people safe. Only God can really make people safe! He did this for Jerusalem in *Vision 2. Also, God did not want them to build walls or houses before they rebuilt his *temple!
v6 ‘Come (away)! Come (away)! And run from the country (that is) in the north!’ says the *LORD. The *LORD (also) says, ‘This is because I have scattered you to the four winds of the *heavens.’ v7 ‘Come (away), Zion! Escape, you who live in the *Daughter of Babylon.’ v8 (Do this) because the *LORD of Everything says, ‘After his *glory, he sent me against the nations that destroyed you. Because whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye. v9 Now look! I will raise my hand (to punish) them. Then their slaves will take away their things.’ Then you will know that the *LORD of Everything (really) did send me. v10 ‘Shout and be glad, *Daughter of Zion! Now look! I am coming (to you) and I will live among you’, says the *LORD. v11 ‘In that day, many nations will join with the *LORD. And then they will become my people. And I will live among you.’ Then you will know that the *LORD of everything (really) did send me to you.
Notes
Verse 6 Verses 6-13 are not part of the *vision. They are a poem that Zechariah wrote, to call the *Jews back from *exile. Some had returned in 536 *B.C. But now Zechariah urged more to come. Some Bible students think that Zechariah wrote this poem earlier. Perhaps he wrote it when he himself was in *exile. He added it to his book when he had returned to Jerusalem. The *Hebrew word for ‘Come (away)!’ means ‘oh!’ This word suggests danger. The danger is in verse 9. ‘The country in the north’ is Babylon. It was north-east of Jerusalem, but the road to Babylon started by going north. ‘To the four winds of the *heavens’ is a *Hebrew way to say ‘in all directions’. So God is calling *exiles from everywhere, not only from Babylon.
7 The *Greek Bible has, ‘Come (away) to Zion’, but the *Hebrew Bible says, ‘Come (away), Zion’, or ‘Oh! Zion!’ The *LORD is warning the people from Zion. They are in danger if they stay in Babylon.
Zion is another name for Jerusalem. Here it means the people, or their families, that once lived in Jerusalem. They were the people in *exile. The Daughter of Babylon was an *Hebrew way to say Babylonian people. Some lived in Babylon, and some lived in other Babylonian cities. ‘In the Daughter of Babylon’ means ‘among the people of Babylon’.
Verse 8 Bible students do not agree what ‘after his *glory, he sent me’ means. Some possibilities are:
• after he gave me the honour of sending me;
• after he insisted that he would send me;
• after God returned (to Jerusalem) he sent me.
Whatever it means, Zechariah had a message for the nations, not only for Judah and Israel. ‘The apple of the eye’ is the part of the eye that we can hurt most easily. It is not really an apple; it is just a part of the eye. When the nations destroyed Israel and Judah, they ‘touched the apple of God’s eye’. They hurt God’s special people, so they hurt God!
Verse 9 ‘Now look!’ is how the *prophets emphasised what they said. God was going to ‘raise his hand to punish them’. The slaves were the people in *exile, people from many countries including Judah and Israel. In the *Old Testament, there was a simple test to work out whether a *prophet came from God. The *prophet said that some things would happen. And the people would recognise him to be a real prophet when these things did happen.
Verse 10 ‘Daughter of Zion’ means ‘people that live in and near Jerusalem’. The *LORD promised to come and live in Jerusalem. That is why they had to build his house, the *temple. The *LORD had gone from Jerusalem when Babylon destroyed Jerusalem. Ezekiel 10:18-19 tells us about this.
Verse 11 ‘Join with the *LORD’ means that they will serve the *LORD. ‘That day’ was the day that the *LORD returned to Jerusalem. But like many verses in Zechariah, it has more than one meaning. It also means when Jesus came to the earth. And when Jesus will come again to the earth. This is because a lot of Zechariah’s book is about Jesus’ return to the earth. Zechariah adds again his remark from verse 9.
Verses 10-11 I will live among you. Twice God tells Zechariah to say this to his people. What does it mean? Christians believe that God is everywhere. He is omnipresent, which means ‘present everywhere’. But God did special things for his people, the *Jews. So, they believed that he lived with them. His home was the *temple. Of course, he was everywhere else also! When God allowed Babylon to punish Judah, Ezekiel tells us that ‘the *glory of the *LORD went away’, Ezekiel 10:18. Here, the *glory of the *LORD included the things that he did for Judah. These things made him shine like a bright light to the *Jews. Then he stopped helping them for a time. Then, it was as if the light went out. The *glory went away. But now God promised to come back. He would help his people again! This was why it was more important to rebuild his *temple than their own houses and city walls. Ezekiel said that the *glory would return in Ezekiel 43:4; Ezekiel 44:4. ‘The *glory of the *LORD came into the *temple’, Ezekiel 43:4.
v12 And the *LORD will possess Judah as his share in the *holy land. And he will choose Jerusalem again. v13 Everybody, be still in front of the *LORD! He is rising up from the *holy place where he lives.
Verse 12 Judah and Jerusalem mean the people that live in the *holy land. Christians call the country where Jesus lived ‘the *Holy Land’. This is the only place where the words appear in the *Old Testament.
Verse 13 ‘Everybody’ in the *Hebrew language is ‘all flesh’, which means ‘all men and women’. This includes the people from Judah and Babylon. God has got up and done something. He has punished Babylon and not Judah! ‘The *holy place’ here probably means *heaven.
Something to do
1. Read Ezra 4:1-5. This is a story about people who stopped the *Jews rebuilding Jerusalem.2. Study what Deuteronomy 13:1-5 and Deuteronomy 18:17-22 teach about *prophets. Now look at where Zechariah says, ‘You will know that the *LORD (really) did send me.’ This is in Zechariah 2:9; Zechariah 2:11; Zechariah 4:9 and Zechariah 6:15.
3. Read Haggai 1:2-5. Compare it with Zechariah 2:1-5.
4. Follow the message of the first 3 *visions:
Zechariah 1:16 Build my house.
Zechariah 1:21 Destroy those *horns.
Zechariah 2:4 A city without walls.
Pray that God will encourage you by these verses.
Chapter 3 *Vision 4: The Chief Priest has returned to Jerusalem
v1 Then (the *angel) showed me Joshua the chief priest. He was standing in front of the *angel of the *LORD. And *Satan stood on his right hand side to accuse (Joshua). v2 And the *LORD said to *Satan, ‘The *LORD tells you to be quiet, *Satan! The *LORD has chosen Jerusalem and he tells you to be quiet! This man is (like) a stick that is burning. (I have) pulled (the stick) from the fire.’ v3 Now Joshua was wearing very dirty clothes while he stood in front of the *angel. v4 Then (the *LORD) spoke. And he said (this) to (the *angels) that were standing in front of him. He said, ‘Take the very dirty clothes off him.’ Then he said to (Joshua), ‘Look! I have taken away your *sin and I have put the correct clothes (for a priest) on you.’ v5 Then I said, ‘Put a clean turban (hat) on his head.’ So they put a clean turban on his head. And they put (clean) clothes on him, while the *angel of the *LORD watched.
v6 And the *angel of the *LORD warned Joshua. He said, v7 ‘The *LORD of Everything says this. Live in the way (that I want you to live). And do what I require (in the *temple). Then you will rule my house and guard my *courts. And I will give you a place among (the *angels) that stand here.
v8 Now listen, Joshua the chief priest. (Listen), you and all your friends that are sitting in front of you. These men are like (a picture of) something (that will happen). Now look, I will bring my servant the Branch (to Jerusalem). v9 Now look at the stone that I am putting in front of Joshua. On that one stone there are 7 eyes (or sides).’ The *LORD of Everything says, ‘Look! I will *engrave an *engraving on it! And I will remove the *sin of this country in one day. v10 On the same day’, says the *LORD of Everything, ‘each of you will invite his neighbour to sit under his *vine or *fig tree.’
Notes
Verse 1 The first three *visions were outside Jerusalem. This one is in a court of law in *heaven. The *angel of the *LORD (who becomes the *LORD himself in verse 2) is the judge. *Satan (‘the *satan’ in the *Hebrew Bible) accuses Joshua. He says that he has done something wrong. The *Hebrew words ‘the *satan’ mean ‘the accuser’. Joshua is the chief priest of the *Jews. He was there on behalf of all the *Jewish people.
The *Jews that lived in Egypt about 200 *B.C. made a translation of the *Old Testament into *Greek. Zechariah 3:1 in the *Greek Bible has ‘the devil’ for ‘the *satan’ and ‘Jesus’ for ‘Joshua’. Joshua is one *Hebrew form of the English word Jesus. Zechariah was not writing about the devil and Jesus Christ. However, he does help us to understand what Jesus did! Zechariah’s words mean more than he realised. This is often true about the *Old Testament *prophets.
Verse 2 Our translation makes ‘the *satan’ in the *Hebrew Bible into ‘*Satan’. *Satan has now become the name of God’s enemy. He is the devil in the *Greek Bible. The *angel of the *LORD is now the *LORD himself. ‘Tells you to be quiet’ is really ‘rebukes you’ in the *Hebrew Bible. A boss ‘rebukes’ people when he is angry with them!
‘This man’ means:
• Joshua, the chief priest;
• the people that he acts for, (that is the *Jews);
• the people that Jesus Christ rescued from the fires of hell.
It means the first two of these for *Jews. But for Christians, it means all three of them.
In the Bible, fire is always something that destroys things. God rescued his people from:
• Sodom and Gomorrah, a place of fire, Amos 4:11. God burned the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Genesis 19:24-25.
• Egypt, an ‘iron furnace’, Deuteronomy 4:20 and Jeremiah 11:4. A furnace is a very hot fire. An iron furnace was so hot that it could make iron pure! The fire destroys the rubbish.
• Babylon, as in this verse in Zechariah.
Verse 3 The very dirty clothes mean the bad things that the priests and the people had done before the *exile. In the Bible, a priest should not be wearing dirty clothes. The priest’s clothes should be clean. But Joshua’s clothes were very dirty in the *vision because the people had been very evil.
Verse 4 Our translation tells us who said what to whom. The *Hebrew Bible just says ‘he spoke to them’. The very dirty clothes mean *sin. The correct clothes show that God has *forgiven this *sin. Leviticus 8:5-7 tells us what the priests had to wear. They wore these clothes when they did their work in the *temple. Exodus 28 describes how they made the clothes.
Verse 5 A turban is a hat that people in some countries wear. Zechariah says that they should put the turban onto Joshua’s head. The chief priest wore a special turban, Exodus 29:6. Some translations use the word mitre instead of turban. ‘Mitre’ is another word for a special hat. Notice that the *sin was put away but an animal was not offered to God.
Verse 6 Chapter 1:6 also described how God warned the people.
Verse 7 The two things that the chief priest must do are these. He must obey God’s moral laws. Also, he must obey the *ritual laws. The word for ‘require’ is the same as that in Numbers chapter 3. There God used the word 9 times to tell the priests what they must do. This was what they must do in the *temple. As a result, the *LORD would do two things. He would allow the chief priest to rule God’s house and its *courts. The *courts were the yards or spaces round the *temple. Also, God would allow the chief priest to approach God, without anybody else between them.
Verse 8 The last 3 verses are about what will happen in the future. Joshua’s friends are the priests in the *temple in Jerusalem. God had brought them back to the new *temple in the *vision. They showed what God would do years later. He would bring his servant the Branch to Jerusalem. This means that the Branch would also be a priest. There is more about the Branch in the notes after Zechariah 6:15. Isaiah Chapter s 40 to 55 also tell us about God’s servant.
Verse 9 The word translated ‘sides’ has several meanings in the *Hebrew language: eyes, faces, sides and fountains! Some Bible students say ‘fountains’ is a good translation because:
• The water would make the Branch grow, verse 8.
• The water would wash away *sin, verse 9.
• The water would make the *vine and the *fig trees produce much fruit, verse 10.
• Also, the stone would be like the rock in the desert. When Moses hit it, water came out, Exodus 17:6. Paul tells us that ‘that Rock was Christ’, 1 Corinthians 10:4.
Some Bible students translate ‘*engrave an *engraving’ in a different way. *Engrave means ‘write on a stone or rock’, and what you write is called an *engraving. But the *Hebrew word for ‘*engrave’ also means ‘open’. So they translate it, ‘Look! I will open an opening in it.’ This is what happened when Moses hit the rock. Water came from an opening in the rock. The ‘one day’ when God removes *sin is the day that Jesus died, Hebrews 7:27. So the end of the *vision looks forward to the life of Jesus. Chapter s 9 to 14 often look forward to the life of Jesus.
There is also an *eschatological (future) meaning. On the day when Jesus returns, his people will trust him. So God will forgive them. See Zechariah 2:10-11 and Romans 11:26-27.
Verse 10 Notice the way that the sentence starts with ‘On the same day’. This emphasises the importance of the day. As a result, neighbours will sit and rest under each other’s fruit trees. *Vine trees and *fig trees are fruit trees. This is a picture of peace, friendship and *prosperity. *Prosperity means plenty of everything!
Something to do
1. Read the beginning of the story of Job, where *Satan is also in *heaven.2. Study Bible verses that are about clothes. Here are some: Genesis 3:21; Exodus 28:2-5; Matthew 22:11-14; Ephesians 6:13-17 (from Isaiah 59:16-17); Revelation 21:2.
3. Look for ways that the Joshua (Jesus) in Zechariah 3 is like the Jesus (Joshua) in the *New Testament.
4. Make and keep a list of names for the *Messiah. Jesus is the *Messiah. These are some of Jesus’ Bible names. Always try to find two or more verses with the name in if you can. Below is a *table, which is a special way to show information.
| Name | First witness | Second Witness | Other Witness |
| The Branch | |||
| The Rock | | | |
| The Stone | | | |
| The Servant | | | |
Chapter 4 *Vision 5: *Lampstand and *Olive Trees
v1 Then the *angel that talked to me returned. And he woke me up, as if he was waking up a man from his sleep. v2 And he said to me, ‘What do you see?’ And I said, ‘Look! I can see a *lampstand all of gold. And (there is) a basin on the top of it. (And there are) 7 lamps on it. (And there are) 7 pipes to the lamps that are on it. v3 Also (there are) two *olive trees by it. One (is) on the right of the basin and the other (is) on the left of it.’ v4 So I asked the *angel that spoke to me. I said, ‘What are these, my *lord?’ v5 And the *angel that spoke to me answered. And he said to me, ‘Do you not know what these are?’ And I said, ‘No, my *lord.’ v6 So he answered and spoke to me. He said, ‘This is the word of the *LORD to Zerubbabel. (The *LORD) says, “(Things will happen) not by strength, nor by power, but by my Spirit”, says the *LORD of Everything. v7 Whatever you are, (you) great mountain, you shall become a plain in front of Zerubbabel. And he shall cause the top stone to go up (onto the top of the *temple). And (people) will shout, “(There will be) *grace to it, *grace!” ’ v8 The word of the *LORD came to me again. (He) said, v9 ‘The hands of Zerubbabel have started to build this *temple and his hands shall complete it. And you shall know that the *LORD of Everything has sent me to you. v10 Do not laugh at the day of small things! People will be very happy when they see the *plumb-line in the hands of Zerubbabel. These seven eyes of the *LORD go through all the earth.’
v11 Then I answered and I said to (the *angel), ‘What are these two *olive trees? (They are) on the right of the *lampstand and on its left.’ v12 And I spoke to him again and asked, ‘What are these two *olive branches? They are at the sides of the two *golden pipes which pour out *golden (oil).’ v13 And he answered me and said, ‘Do you not know what these are?’ And I said, ‘No, my *lord.’ v14 So he said, ‘These are the two men (that God) *anointed. They stand by the *LORD of the whole world.’
Notes
Verse 1 This links with Zechariah 1:8, ‘I saw (something) in the night.’ Most Bible students think that Zechariah saw all 8 *visions in the same night.
Verse 2 Zechariah recognised a *lampstand. This is something that a lamp stands on. Here there were seven lamps. Each had a pipe that came from a basin. Probably, oil came from the basin and burned in the lamps. Students of history believe that this *lampstand is not the same as the menorah. The menorah is a *lampstand that *Jews use nowadays. They first used it about 100 *B.C. Zechariah lived about 500 *B.C.
Verse 3 The branches of the *olive trees were probably above the lamps. Olives are fruits that contain oil. The oil burns to give light. It is not the same type of oil that people use in cars.
Verse 4 The *olive trees and, perhaps, the *lampstand were a puzzle to Zechariah. He asked again about the *olive trees in verse 11. The question does not mean ‘What are these for?’ He knows that lamps give light and olives give oil. Zechariah asks rather, ‘What do these mean? Why are you showing me these?’ He probably knows that the *lampstand means the *Jews, but what do the two *olive trees mean? ‘My *lord’ here and in verses 5 and 13 means just ‘sir’.
Verse 5 The *angel does not reply until verse 14.
Verse 6 Verses 6-10 separate the *vision in verses 1-5 from its explanation in verses 11-14. Many Bible students say that these verses are a separate section. That may be true. But other Bible students think that chapter 3 is about Joshua, the leader of *Jewish religion. And they think that chapter 4 is about Zerubbabel, the political leader. The phrase ‘things will happen’ means, first, the new *temple will be built. It will not be human strength that does it. It will not be political power that does it. It will be the Spirit of God himself! This is God’s message to Zerubbabel, the political leader of the *Jews that returned from *exile.
Verse 7 There are problems for Zerubbabel. To him, these problems seem like a great mountain. But God’s promise is that they will become like a plain! The first stone or brick of a building is called the foundation stone. Zerubbabel had already put that in place, verse 9. He did it 15 years earlier, Ezra 3:8-11. Now God promises that Zerubbabel will finish the building. He will put the top stone into its place. Its place is at the top of the *temple. The words ‘*Grace to it, *grace’ may mean ‘it is beautiful’. But they also point to the future. *Grace is a special Christian word. It means that God is very kind to people when he does not have to be kind. He forgives them when he does not have to forgive them.
Verse 9 Read again the note on Zechariah 2:9 and Something to do number 2 after chapter 2.
Verse 10 In this verse and verse 9, ‘the hands of Zerubbabel’ mean the people that Zerubbabel ruled. He may have put the base stone in place himself, but his workmen built the *temple. Builders use a *plumb-line when they build walls. It shows them if the wall is standing up straight. It is a piece of *lead (plumbum in the Latin language!) on a piece of string. The *Hebrew words, however, mean ‘stone of tin’! Maybe Jesus is the stone. Then, this may look forward to a time when Jesus will be the judge of everybody!
‘The day of small things’ means the day when Zerubbabel began to build. Then his efforts to build seemed very poor. And people thought that he would never complete the building. But Zerubbabel would not complete it by his own strength or power. Zerubbabel would complete the *temple by the power of God’s Spirit.
‘The 7 eyes of the *LORD’ we could translate as ‘the 7 fountains of the *LORD’. Look at the note on 3:9. They would flow over all the earth. This would link this verse with 3:9. ‘The day of small things’ is a phrase common among Christians. It means ‘when not much happens’. We may laugh because nothing is happening. But Zechariah tells us that God will have the last laugh! God is always doing something!
Verse 11 This verse continues from verse 5.
Verse 12 *Golden probably means the colour of the oil. It was the colour of the metal called gold. The pipes were the same colour as the oil.
Verse 13 This really repeats verse 5.
Verse 14 The two men were people that God had *anointed to do his work. ‘*Anointed’ means ‘poured vegetable oil over’. This ceremony gave them authority to do God’s work. The two *anointed people were Joshua and Zerubbabel. Joshua was the chief priest, a member of the family of Aaron. Zerubbabel was a member of the family of David. The *Hebrew Bible calls them ‘sons of oil’. A priest probably poured the oil, not God himself. The priest was the servant of God.
What Chapter s 3 and 4 mean
The *lampstand represents the *temple and the *Jews that served the *LORD. Zerubbabel would build the *temple. And he would lead the people that lived in Judah. Joshua would lead them as they served God. What happened in Jerusalem would be like a light to everybody, Matthew 5:14. The *anointed ones, Joshua and Zerubbabel, would supply the oil that kept the lights burning. The oil means God’s Spirit. This is still true in the Church. The 7 *lampstands in Revelation 1:20 mean the Churches. The only true light is Jesus himself, John 8:12. God will complete his church as certainly as he completed his *temple in Jerusalem.So, Chapter s 3 and 4 are not only about the *Jews’ return from *exile. They are also about Jesus, the *Messiah. When Zechariah wrote them, they were about the *Jews, the *temple and Jerusalem. But now they mean more than that. The rock (Zechariah 3:9), the stone (4:7) and the Branch (3:8) are things that make us think about Christ himself. Zechariah spoke ‘more than he knew’. There is a connection between the two ‘sons of oil’ and the *Messiah, Jesus. Notice that:
By means of Joshua, the chief priest, God forgives *sins. Therefore, people can come straight to God, chapter 3.
By means of Zerubbabel, the prince, the people complete the *temple. So, it is as if the light shines through all the world, chapter 4.
Something to do
1. Follow again through the book of Zechariah how important it is to build the *temple: 1:16; 2:4; 3:7 and 4:9.2. Learn to say verse 6 by heart. (‘By heart’ means that you do not look at the words.) Remember that verse 6 is still true nowadays!
3. Read Isaiah 40:3-4. Which verse in Zechariah does it make you think about?
Chapter 5 *Vision 6: The Flying *Scroll
v1 Then I turned (round) and I looked up. And look, I saw a flying *scroll. v2 And he said (to me), ‘What do you see?’ And I answered, ‘I can see a flying *scroll. It is 10 metres long and 5 metres wide.’ v3 And he said to me, ‘This (*scroll contains) a *curse. It is going out across the whole country (of Judah). One (side) says that every thief will be outside (the *covenant). And (the other side) has a message for everyone that is not sincere about his promises (to God). (Such a person) will be outside (the *covenant).’ v4 The *LORD of Everything says, ‘I will send (the *scroll) out. It will go into the house of each thief. And (I will send it) into the house of each person that is not sincere about his promises (to God). (And the scroll with its curse) will stay in each house and it will destroy its wood and stone.’
Notes
Verse 1 A *scroll was the old form of a book. It was a very long piece of paper or leather. People would roll it up to make a *scroll. They wrote on both sides of the paper or leather. This *scroll was open. Therefore, everybody could read it as it flew past.
Verse 2 ‘He’ was probably the *angel in Zechariah 1:9. The *scroll was an unusual shape. Usually they were less than a metre wide.
Verse 3 A *curse is a bad thing that will happen to people. In this verse, there are two sorts of people. Firstly, there are those who are thieves. They are those who *sin against their neighbours. See the last 6 of the Ten Commandments. Secondly, there are those that are not sincere about their promises to God. See the first 4 of the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are the laws that God gave to Moses in Exodus chapter 20. The *Covenant is the agreement between God and his people. ‘Outside the *covenant’ means ‘not one of God’s people’. This *curse, or bad thing, will happen to people who do not obey God’s laws. Such people will not continue to be God’s people.
Verse 4 So God will punish people that do not obey his law. When there is a new *temple and a new chief priest, people will have to obey God’s laws. If they do not obey, God will punish them.
The message of what Zechariah saw is very clear. God is kind. He wants to forgive people. But God is also a fair judge. We need to confess our *sins to him and to trust him. Otherwise, God will punish us.
Something to do
1. Read the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:1-17. Notice those that are about:• our attitude to God;
• our attitude to people.
2. Find something that is 10 metres long and 5 metres high. Imagine that the first 4 commandments are on one side and that the last 6 on the other side. Now imagine that it is flying over your country! Then pray that people in your country will obey God’s laws.
Chapter 5 *Vision 7: The Woman in a Basket
v5 Then the *angel that was speaking to me came forward. And he said to me, ‘Look up now and look at this! Look at what is appearing.’ v6 And I said, ‘What is it?’ And he answered, ‘This is a basket.’ And he added, ‘This is the *sin of the people in the whole country.’ v7 Then look! (Someone) raised the *lead cover (of the basket). And there was a woman who was sitting in the basket. v8 And he said, ‘(The woman actually means) something that is very wicked.’ And he pushed her back into the basket. Then he pushed the *lead cover down over the top of the basket. v9 Then I looked up. And look! I saw two women in front of me. And the wind was in their wings. They had wings like (a big bird called) a stork. And they lifted up the basket between the earth and the sky. v10 I asked the *angel that spoke to me, ‘Where are they taking the basket?’ v11 And he answered me, ‘(They are taking it) to the country called *Shinar. They will build a house for it (there). When it is ready, they will stand it on a base.’
Notes
Verse 6 The *Hebrew word for ‘basket’ is ‘ephah’. It was something that people used to measure grain. Most Bible students say that in the *Hebrew Bible it means the ‘*sin of the people’. It actually says, ‘This is their eye in all the country.’
Verse 7 The basket called an ephah was not big enough to put a normal woman in. Perhaps it was an image of a woman that was a false *goddess. A *goddess is a female god. The woman was raising the *lead cover. This probably means that the woman was trying to escape.
Verse 8 This teaches us that people, both men and women, can be evil. We could say that the *vision means ‘It is people who do evil things’. The *Hebrew word here for ‘wicked’ means all sorts of evil behaviour:
• Socially evil behaviour. That means evil behaviour in the public life of our town.
• Morally evil behaviour. That means evil behaviour in our own private and family lives.
• Religious evil behaviour. That means evil behaviour in our church life.
The word ‘pushed’ in *Hebrew suggests a struggle. It was difficult for the *angel to close the lid of the basket. It was as if something very evil was trying to escape!
Verse 9 Bible students are not sure why two women took the basket away. It was the job of the priests to remove evil things. Probably ‘wind was in their wings’ meant that they flew very fast. But the *Hebrew word for ‘wind’ also means ‘spirit’. So, it could mean that God’s Spirit was taking the evil thing away.
Verse 11 Shinar is the old name for Babylon, Genesis 11:2. The house was a *temple where people would *worship the false *goddess. This means a special house where people could *worship the *goddess. ‘*Worship’ means to tell someone that you love them. Also, that you will obey them because they are so great. This *vision could mean that the *Jewish people would not *worship false gods in Jerusalem again. But elsewhere people still *worshipped false gods. Also, this *vision means that God would remove their evil behaviour from their country.
Something to do
1. Study some of the verses about Babylon in the Bible:• Genesis 11:1-9 The people in Babylon wanted to reach *heaven without God’s help.
• Daniel 3:1-30 Babylon tries to hurt God’s people.
• Isaiah 47:8-15 Babylon is a place where there are evil things and magic.
• Revelation Chapter s 17 and 18 God’s *angels destroy the riches of Babylon.
2. Which of the Ten Commandments tells us not to *worship false gods and *goddesses? The Ten Commandments are in Exodus 20:1-17.
Chapter 6 *Vision 8: The Four *Chariots
v1 And I turned and I looked up. And this is what I saw. I saw four *chariots. They were coming out from between two mountains. And the mountains seemed to be *bronze mountains. v2 The first *chariot had red horses and the second *chariot had black horses. v3 And the third *chariot had white horses and the fourth *chariot had strong *dappled horses.