Zechariah 8:1-23

God remembers his promises

Zechariah

Gordon Churchyard

Chapter 8

v1 Again, the word of the *LORD of Everything came (to Zechariah). (The *LORD told him) to say this. v2 ‘This is what the *LORD of Everything is saying. I am jealous for Zion, I am very jealous. I am jealous because I am so angry. v3 This is what the *LORD says. I will return to Zion and I will live in Jerusalem. Then (they will) call Jerusalem the City of Truth. And the mountain of the *LORD of Everything they will call the *Holy Mountain. v4 This is what the *LORD of Everything is saying. Old men and old women will sit again in the streets of Jerusalem. And everyone will have a stick in their hand, to help them to walk. (They will do this) because they are old. v5 And boys and girls will fill the streets of the city, as they play there. v6 This is what the *LORD of Everything is saying. Such things may seem impossible to the people that remain (here). But they will not seem impossible to me. This is what the *LORD of Everything says. v7 This is what the *LORD of Everything is saying. Look! I will save my people from countries in the east. And (I will save them) from countries in the west. v8 Then I will bring them (back) and they will live in Jerusalem. And they will be my people and I will be their God. I will do what I have promised (to them). And I will do what is right (for them).’

Notes

Some Bible students think that this is the last chapter of Zechariah. Chapter s 9-13, they say, are by another *prophet. If so, this other prophet may also have the name ‘Zechariah’. If they are correct, then this book is like that of Amos, Isaiah and most other *prophets. It ends with a message of hope!

Verse 2 Notice that the word ‘jealous’ comes three times in this verse. In English, this would mean ‘very, very, very jealous’. The *Hebrew word for ‘so angry’ means to feel as if you are ‘on fire’. God loved his people so much that he felt angry (or on fire) with their enemies. Read Zechariah 1:15 again. This is what the word ‘jealous’ means here. Fire in the Bible nearly always means God’s anger. Zechariah says that God is jealous. So God is angry with the people that hurt the *Jews. In this verse, there is a special sort of *Hebrew poetry. It ends as it began. The *Hebrew order of words is:

I am jealous for Zion, I am very jealous.

I am very angry because I am jealous (for Zion).

Notice that the first three words are the same as the last three words. This often happens in *Hebrew poetry, but it is not easy to see in translations. Remember that words in (…) are not in the *Hebrew Bible.

Verse 3 God says that he will live in Jerusalem. This means that his *glory will again be in the *temple. The *glory of God means God’s greatness. Sometimes people saw a light that shines very brightly (Mark 9:3). This light shows that God really is there. The mountain of the *LORD is the hill called Zion. They built the *temple on this hill. The mountain was *holy because the *holy God lived there. ‘*Holy’ means ‘very, very good’. Only God is really *holy. God is everywhere. But God also wanted his people to know that he was specially with them in Jerusalem.

In this verse, Jerusalem has a new name. It is ‘City of Truth, the *Holy Mountain’. Two other *prophets gave Jerusalem a new name. See Isaiah 62:2-4 and Ezekiel 48:35.

Verses 4-5 The streets in these verses are really the squares in the city. There will be old people in them, and children in them. Previously there had been terrible wars in Jerusalem. People died before they were old. And enemy soldiers had taken children away to be slaves. But the *Lord was speaking about a time when Jerusalem would be at peace. People would live until they were very old. There would be many children. And the children would be happy as they played.

Verse 6 ‘Seem’ in the *Hebrew Bible is ‘in the eyes of’. In other words, this is what people see. ‘Impossible’ is something too wonderful to be true in the *Hebrew Bible. It is a miracle! A miracle means something that only God can do. ‘It will not seem impossible to me’ is really a question in the *Hebrew Bible. ‘Is it impossible to me?’ The answer that Zechariah expects is ‘No!’

Verse 7 Where will all these people (in verses 4 and 5) come from? God will bring them from the east and from the west. In the *Hebrew language, ‘east’ is ‘where the sun rises’ and ‘west’ is ‘where the sun sets’. ‘Save’ in this verse really means ‘bring from’. God scattered his people among the nations (Zechariah 7:14). Now he will bring them home again. This will include old people and children.

Verse 8 This emphasises the *covenant between God and his people. In this *covenant, God promised to help his people. They promised to love him and obey him. Many Bible students think that here Jerusalem is a sign. In other words, it will not be the present city of Jerusalem, but it will be a ‘new Jerusalem’. Other Bible students see it as the present Jerusalem, but with Jesus who will be ruling there as king. When it happens, it will not matter who is correct! This is because it is a message of hope!

v9 ‘This is what the *LORD of Everything is saying. Make your hands strong! Rebuild the *temple! (Do this) today, you people that heard. You heard what the *prophets said. They said it in the day that (builders) built the base of the house of the *LORD. (He is the *LORD) of Everything.

v10 Because before those days:

• There were no wages for a man or (his) animals.

• Nobody could go out or come in safely, because of the enemy.

• I (the *LORD) had turned everyone against his neighbour.

v11 But now (I will make a new agreement) with the people that remain (in Judah). I will not deal with them as (I dealt) with them in the past. This is what the *LORD of Everything says. v12 Now it is safe (to plant) seed. The *vine will produce its fruit. And the ground will produce its crops. And the *heavens will drop their *dew. And I will cause the people that remain to have all these things. v13 House of Judah and house of Israel, as you were a *curse among the nations, (so) I will save you. Then you will be good for people. Do not be afraid. Make your hands strong!’

Notes

Verse 9 ‘Make your hands strong’ was a *Hebrew way to say ‘get ready for what you must do’. It is in:

• the story of Joshua, Judges 7:9-11. Here, Joshua was getting ready for war.

• the story of David and Jonathan, 1 Samuel 23:16-18. Here, Jonathan told David not to be afraid.

• the story of Ezekiel, Ezekiel 22:14. Here, Ezekiel tells the people that God will scatter them. So their hands will not be strong.

This verse is complex. Not all Bible students translate it the same way. This translation says that the people heard the *prophets when the builders laid the base of God’s house. They heard the promise that God would build his house again. They had built the base two years before, in 520 *B.C. See Haggai 2:18. Now Zechariah was encouraging them to finish the work.

Verse 10 They did not start the building before 520 *B.C. because:

• There was no sure employment.

• There was no security from foreign enemies.

• There was no security from neighbours.

This verse probably refers to 537-520 *B.C. The man and his animals means farmers. The enemies were the people that the soldiers from Babylon moved into Judah. Everything was in a bad state. Even neighbours argued! This was because God was punishing his people. ‘Turn against’ means ‘to argue with’, or perhaps ‘to fight against’.

Verse 11 They had started to rebuild the *temple two years before. Because of this, God started to do good things for his people again. The ‘people that remain’ are those that now live in Judah. Many of them had come from Babylon. Other people had not been into *exile.

Verse 12 Zechariah mentions some of the good things. The *Hebrew phrase for ‘safe seed’ is ‘seed of peace’. The *vine is a plant that grows fruit called *grapes. People make wine from *grapes. Here, the *heavens mean the skies. *Dew is water that comes onto the ground at night as it becomes cooler. In 520 *B.C., Haggai promised that these good things would happen. But they would only happen if people obeyed God. They must rebuild his *temple. Zechariah’s list is a short form of the *covenant. This was the agreement between God and his people. It is in Leviticus 26:3-13 and many other places in the *Old Testament.

Verse 13 ‘House of’ is an *Hebrew way to say ‘people of’. Zechariah put Judah first, unlike Jeremiah 5:11 and Jeremiah 11:10. ‘A *curse’ means to say or to hope that bad things will happen to someone. The nations hoped that bad things would happen to Judah. But now, good things will happen! So, Zechariah encourages his people to finish rebuilding God’s house in Jerusalem.

v14 ‘(Make your hands strong) because these are the words of the *LORD of Everything. (In the past) my purpose was to do bad things to you and not to pity you. (This was) when your fathers (and grandfathers) made me angry, says the *LORD of Everything. v15 But now I have decided to do good things again to Jerusalem and to Judah. (So), do not be afraid! v16 These are the things that you must do. Speak the truth to each other. Make sure that the judgements in your courts are honest and sound. v17 But do not make evil plans against your neighbour. Do not love to be a false witness (in court). Because I hate all of these things, says the *LORD.’

Notes

Verse 14 Bible students are not sure if ‘make your hands strong’ finishes verse 13 or starts verse 14. Our translation puts it in both places! The bad things included the *exile, as Jeremiah wrote in Jeremiah 4:27-29 and other places. But the people should be strong because of the promise in verse 15. ‘Fathers’ in this verse means grandfathers, great-grandfathers and so on. It also includes mothers and grandmothers!

Verse 15 The good things are in verses 12 and 13.

Verse 16 In the *Hebrew Bible, ‘truth’ and ‘honest’ are the same word, ‘emet’. Read again the note on Zechariah 7:9-10. The word ‘sound’ in *Hebrew is ‘shalom’. It means peace. It also means ‘something that satisfies people’. So it is more than just ‘peace’. So we could translate this part of verse 17 like this. ‘Make sure that your judgements are honest. And make sure that they satisfy people.’ The courts in many towns and villages were at their gates. There are examples of this in Deuteronomy 21:19; Ruth 4:1-12; Isaiah 29:21 and Amos 5:10.

Verse 17 These are some of the things that spoil peace. That is why God hates the things in verse 17.

v18 The word of the *LORD of Everything came to me again. (The *LORD) says (this). v19 ‘This is what the *LORD of Everything says (to you). The *fasts of the 4th (month) and of the 5th (month) will be full of joy and happiness. The *fasts of the 7th (month) and of the 10th (month will also be like this). They will be happy *festivals. Therefore, love truth and peace.’

Notes

Verse 18 The word of the *LORD has come to answer the question in 7:3. The answer is really in everything between 7:4 and 8:17, but now Zechariah makes it clear to everybody. God wants his people to obey the *covenant. God does not merely want them to keep *fasts to remember past troubles.

Verse 19 They only asked in 7:3 about the *fast in the fifth month. But here God includes in his answer all the major *exile *festivals. There is a list of them in the note on 7:3. A *festival is an important event. There is often music, singing, dancing and great feasts. From now on there must not be *fasts but feasts! The troubles are over. A *fast is when people eat nothing. A feast is when they eat a lot. And they drink a lot.

v20 ‘This is what the *LORD of Everything is saying. Many people will come in (to Jerusalem) and the inhabitants of many (other) cities (will come). v21 And the inhabitants of one (city) will go to (the inhabitants of) another (city). And they will say, “Let us go now to pray to the *LORD. (Let us go) to look for the *LORD of Everything. I am going myself in fact.” v22 And people from many countries and powerful nations will come to look for the *LORD of Everything in Jerusalem. Also, they will pray to the *LORD. v23 This is what the *LORD of Everything is saying. In those days, this (is what) will happen. Ten men, from all languages and nations, will (look for) one *Jew. They will hold firmly the edge of his coat. And they will say, “We have heard that God is with you. So let us go with you”.’

Notes

Verses 20-23 This section extends what Zechariah said in 2:11. It completes the section that deals with past and present history. Then it starts a section that looks to the future. The rest of the book, Chapter s 9-14, deals with the future. There are several interesting words and phrases in verse 23:

• ten This is often a number that means ‘complete’ in the Bible. Examples are in Genesis 31:7; Leviticus 26:26; Judges 17:10; Ruth 4:2; 1 Samuel 1:8; Jeremiah 41:8. Perhaps here it is a picture of God’s ‘complete’ church.

• all languages and nations This is what happened in Acts 2:5.

• hold firmly Exodus 4:4 uses these words, about Moses who was holding on to the snake’s tail. 1 Samuel 17:35 uses them about David who was holding on to the lion’s beard. In both passages, the men would not dare to stop holding.

• edge of the coat This may link with Ruth 3:9 and Ezekiel 16:8. When they spread the edge of their clothing over them, it gave these people the security of marriage. In the *New Testament, the Church is the bride of Christ, Revelation 21:2. And the name of the bride is Jerusalem!

• let us go with you The *Jews went to the *temple to pray and to look for the *LORD. So this probably means that people from everywhere wanted to obey the *covenant. ‘God is with you’ reminds us of many Bible verses. Here are some examples: Genesis 21:22; Genesis 26:3; Genesis 26:24; Exodus 3:12; Joshua 1:5.

Something to do

1. Read the new names for Jerusalem in Isaiah 62:2-4 and Ezekiel 48:35.

2. Think about your town. Are there old people and children there? If not, pray that there will be. Old people and children are signs that God is doing good things in your town.

3. Read other verses where God says that nothing is too hard for him: Genesis 18:13-14; Jeremiah 32:26.

4. Read other verses about strong hands. (See the note on verse 9.)

5. Compare Haggai 1:6-11 with Haggai 2:18-19.

6. Pray for the things in Zechariah 7:9-10 and 8:16-17 to happen in your area. Do what you can to make them happen.

7. Study the verses in the note on Zechariah 8:23.

lord ~ someone in authority; ‘my lord’ means ‘sir’. With a capital L, a name for God.
LORD ~ the covenant name for God that his servants use.
covenant ~ an agreement. God’s covenant with his people was a special agreement.
holy ~ very, very good; only God is really holy. ‘Holy ones’ is sometimes a name for angels.
angel ~ a servant of God from heaven; usually we cannot see them.
heaven ~ a name for the home of God; it can also mean the sky.
prophet ~ someone who tells people what God is saying.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
Jew ~ a person who is born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
Jew ~ a person who is born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
glory ~ great honour, so great it shines like a bright light.
temple ~ a special house for God (in Jerusalem) or a house for false gods (in places like Babylon).
holy ~ very, very good; only God is really holy. ‘Holy ones’ is sometimes a name for angels.
angel ~ a servant of God from heaven; usually we cannot see them.
heaven ~ a name for the home of God; it can also mean the sky.
lord ~ someone in authority; ‘my lord’ means ‘sir’. With a capital L, a name for God.
LORD ~ the covenant name for God that his servants use.
covenant ~ an agreement. God’s covenant with his people was a special agreement.
covenant ~ an agreement. God’s covenant with his people was a special agreement.
vine ~ a plant that grows fruit called grapes. People make wine from grapes.
grape ~ a fruit that you can make wine from.
heaven ~ a name for the home of God; it can also mean the sky.
dew ~ water that comes onto the ground at night as it becomes cooler.
curse ~ say that something bad will happen to a person.
exile ~ away from home; or, a person that lives away from home. ‘In exile’ means away from home.
grape ~ a fruit that you can make wine from.
dew ~ water that comes onto the ground at night as it becomes cooler.'Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible, which the writers wrote before Jesus came.
fast ~ a sad time when you eat no food for reasons of religion.
festival ~ an important happy event. There are often great meals. People often sing and dance.'New Testament ~ the second part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after Jesus came.