226 lines
9.1 KiB
Markdown
226 lines
9.1 KiB
Markdown
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# Zechariah
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## Sections
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### 1 - Revelation 1 (1:1-6)
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Reflection on Israel's past sin, and call to repentance.
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### 2 - Revelation 2 (1:7-6:15)
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#### Part 1 - Man on Red Horse (1:7-17)
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Zechariah saw a man riding on a red horse.
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Behind him were more horses: red, sorrel, and white.
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Zechariah inquired about the meaning of this, and an angel agreed to explain.
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The man on the red horse says that God sent the other horses to patrol the earth.
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The horses report that the earth is at rest/quiet.
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The Angel of Yahweh lamented the wrath of God against Jerusalem and Judah in the exile.
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God affirms his he is still jealous for Jerusalem and Zion.
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He is far angrier with the nations that are at ease than he was with Judah.
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God will return to Jerusalem, and will again build his house there.
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Measuring line?
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#### Part 2 - Four Horns (1-18-21)
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Zechariah saw four horns that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.
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He also saw four craftsmen that have come to terrify the horns that scattered
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Judah.
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### Part 3 - God to rebuild Jerusalem (2)
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Zechariah sees a man with a measuring line.
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### Part 4 - Vision of Joshua the High Priest (3)
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#### Part 4.1 (3:1-5)
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Zechariah sees Joshua, the Angel of Yahweh, and Satan.
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Satan is there to oppose Joshua (presumably because, as High Priest, he
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represents God's people).
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The Angel of Yahweh rebukes him, saying that Jerusalem is a brand plucked from
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the fire.
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The Angel of Yahweh removes Joshua's filthy garments and gives him rich robes.
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#### Part 4.2 (3:6-10)
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God reaffirms the Levitical priesthood, saying that the High Priest will rule
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God's house (the temple) if they are faithful.
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God foretells that he will send Christ and remove the iniquity of the land in a
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single day.
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#### Part 5 - Golden Lampstand and Olive Trees (4)
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Zechariah sees a golden lampstand surrounded by two olive trees.
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The Angel says that Zerubbabel will succeed in finishing the temple, by the
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power of the Spirit of Yahweh.
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The Angel then says that the olive trees are the two anointed ones.
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He does not explain this.
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Apparently, one common interpretation is that they represent Zerubbabel and
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Joshua (the high priest from the previous chapter).
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Notes:
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* Section starts with the question, "What do you see?" Compare to ch 5 beginning.
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#### Part 6 - The Flying Scroll Against Thieves and Liars (5:1-4)
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Zechariah sees a flying scroll that is 10 x 20 cubits in size.
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It pronounces a curse on the houses of perjurers and thieves.
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Notes:
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* Section starts with the question, "What do you see?" Compare to ch 4 beginning.
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#### Part 7 - Woman in Basket (5:5-11)
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Zechariah sees a woman that seems to represent Wickedness in a basket.
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Two other women appear and haul her off to Shinar (Babylon) to build a house
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for her there.
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ESV SB this represents sin being purged from the land, which seems very sound.
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#### Part 8 - Four Chariots (6:1-8)
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Zechariah sees four chariots coming from between two mountains of bronze.
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The Angel says that they are spirits of heaven.
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| Chariot No. | Horse Color | Direction |
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| ----------- | ----------- | ---------------- |
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| 1 | red | n/a |
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| 2 | black | North |
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| 3 | white | Follow Chariot 2 |
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| 4 | dappled | South |
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The Angel says the chariots going north have given his Spirit rest there.
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Presumably, this means that they have executed judgment on the north (Babylon).
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#### Part 9 - Joshua Crowned, Christ to Build Temple (6:9-15)
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Joshua is crowned with a crowned fashioned from goods brought by returning
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captives, representing the joining of offices of priest and king in Christ.
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The crown is to be kept in the temple as a reminder to the returning captives
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of God's promise.
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God will rebuild the temple, in part through those who are far off.
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### 3 - Revelation 3 - (7:1-8:23)
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#### Part 1 - (7:1-14)
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This third revelation seems to be prompted by an inquiry from the people as to
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whether or not they should keep a fast in the fifth month.
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* 7:1-3 - The people inquire of God as to whether they should continue the fast
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of the fifth month.
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The reconstruction of the temple would be well underway by this time, so the
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need for a fast of mourning seemed like it may have passed.
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Note: this appears to be answered positively in 8:19, after God prompts them
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to reflect on their sin, judgment, and his continuing faithfulness to his
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people.
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* 7:4-14
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* 7:1-7 - God prompts them to examine their motives in the fast.
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* 7:8-14 - God describes the sin that brought the judgement.
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#### Part 2 - (8:1-23)
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This section seems like it really focuses on more immediate blessings.
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* 8:1-10
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* 8:1-3: Section break and God affirming his devotion to Zion
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* 8:4-8: God will restore His people to populate Jerusalem
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* 8:9-13: God says that He has laid a heavy hand on Jerusalem, but He will
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now bless them.
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This shift would have come two years prior at the time of God's third
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revelation to Haggai beginning in Haggai 2:10.
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Compare to Haggai 2:15-19, focus on the laying of the
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foundation of the temple and a reprieve from famine and lack.
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* 9-10 - Focus on former curses
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* 11-13 - Focus on present and future blessings
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* 8:14-17 - God reiterates his purpose for bringing wrath upon Judah, and
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reiterates His intent to prosper them now.
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He then reiterates His call on them to act justly with one another.
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* 8:18-23
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* 18-19 - Section break and answer to the question that prompted the third
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revelation to Zechariah: yes, they may cease their fasts of mourning and
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replace them with feasts.
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* 20-22 - God will bring people from afar, from many nations, to worship
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Him in Jerusalem.
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* 23 - God will indeed bring so many people from afar, that they will
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outnumber the Jews 10:1.
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### 4 - (9:1-10:12)
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* 9:1-8 - God will destroy many of the traditional enemies and potential
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enemies of Israel.
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* 9:9-15 - Appears to focus on the coming of Christ and the conquest of the
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Gospel.
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* 9-10 - Rejoice, your King is coming, lowly and mounted on a donkey.
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He will speak peace to nations and His dominion will be from sea to sea.
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* 11-17 - God will wield the sons of Zion against the sons of Greece.
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Judah is His bow, and Ephraim its arrow.
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Probably not talking about an actual military victory, but the advance of
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the Gospel after the coming of Christ.
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* 10
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* 1-2 - Seek Yahweh for rain rather than the household gods.
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The household gods and their diviners give worthless dreams, leaving the
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people who follow them as sheep without a shepherd.
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* 3-5 - God is particularly angry at the leaders who lead them in their
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worthless practices, because He cares for them as His battle horse, from
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whom will come Christ.
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* 6-7 - God will strengthen Judah and restore Joseph, making Ephraim like a
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might man.
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* 8-12 - God will gather His people in and scatter them among the nations.
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They will remember God in far off lands, and will return from the foreign
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lands.
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Talk of the pride of Assyria being brought down lends credence to at
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least a largely symbolic reading of this section, as Assyria had already
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been broken by Babylon (which itself had since fallen to Persia).
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* 11:1-3 - Lebanon and Bashan are stripped of their great trees.
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* 11:4-17
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* 4-6 - God instructs Zechariah to feed the flock for slaughter, as Judah's
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leaders do to His people.
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* 7-9 - Zechariah does as God says, with particular prejudice against the
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poor of the flock.
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Zechariah takes up two staffs, Grace/Favor/Beauty and Unity/Union/Bonds
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(if bonds, understand as "bonds of kinship").
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* 10-14 - Zechariah breaks Grace/Favor, and neglects the flock.
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He is then paid 30 pieces of silver as his wages.
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Zechariah then breaks Bonds, to signify the breaking of brotherhood
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between Israel and Judah.
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* 15-17 - God declares that He will raise up a worthless shepherd who
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abuses the people, and God will judge that shepherd.
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* 12:1-13:6
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* 12:1-9 - God will restore Jerusalem to be inhabited again.
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Judah will be restored first, and then Jerusalem.
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All nations that oppose Jerusalem will fail.
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* 12:10-14 - God will stir up repentance, and they will grieve what they
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have done to their King.
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* 13:1-6 - False prophets will be ashamed, they will repent, forsaking
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their illegitimate callings.
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* 13:7-9
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* 7 - God will strike His Shepherd, the sheep will be scattered
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* 8-9 - Two thirds of the people will be cut off, one third will be tested
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and refined and made faithful.
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* 14:1-9 - God will bring the nations against Jerusalem, it shall fall, and the
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saints shall flee through God's provided valley. (70AD?)
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Blessings will flow from Jerusalem, and Yahweh will be King over the whole
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earth.
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* 14:10-15 - (New?) Jerusalem shall be raised up, and be a blessed place to dwell.
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God will curse all who assail her.
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* 14:16-21 - All nations will gather to worship at Jerusalem for the Feast of
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Booths/Tabernacles.
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Probably not the literal Feast of Booths, as it is an ordinance of the Mosaic
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Covenant.
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