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