Thinking on Scripture with Dr. Steven R. Cook

Zechariah 13:1-6 refer to events surrounding the second coming of Christ and the suppression of idolatry and false prophets. Zechariah 13:7 refers to the first coming of Jesus and His crucifixion; and, Zechariah 13:8-9 refers to God’s further cleansing of the land during the Tribulation, just before Messiah comes. Zechariah chapter thirteen opens with the repeated phrase, in that day (Zec 13:1, 2, 4), showing it is a continuation of chapter twelve, and refers to the eschatological events surrounding the Second Coming of Jesus. In that future time, God declares, “a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity” (Zec 13:1). This means the Lord will offer spiritual cleansing to Israel’s leadership and people in anticipation of the coming earthly kingdom. The Lord also states, “I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered; and I will also remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land” (Zec 13:2). Israel has a long history of idolatry, which was promoted by false prophets (in the seen world) and unclean spirits (in the unseen world). These will be removed from the land; again, in anticipation of the coming earthly kingdom. The false prophets will not have a place to hide, not even in their own homes, as parents, who are wholly devoted to God, will not tolerate spiritual dissent among their children (Zec 13:3). The false prophets will be ashamed of their false visions and will no longer try to present themselves as true prophets of God (Zec 13:4); but rather, will say they are lowly slave farmers (Zec 13:5). One of the marks of false prophets was the cutting of their flesh in an effort to excite their pagan deity (cf. Lev 19:28; Deu 14:1; 1 Ki 18:28). When asked about his wounds, the false prophet will lie and say “I was wounded in the house of my friends” (Zec 13:6). That is, the wounds were not self-inflicted, but inflicted by a friend, perhaps while horseplaying in his youth. The subject matter suddenly changes, as Zechariah prophecies about the first coming of Jesus, specifically with regard to His substitutionary death. God states, “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the man, My Associate” (Zec 13:7a). Here, God the Father calls for a sword—an instrument of death—to be raised against His Shepherd and Associate, which is Jesus, His Son. This verse is similar to that of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53, where God the Father crushes Jesus in our place (Isa 53:4-10; Acts 2:23; 4:27-28); a crushing that Jesus willingly accepts, as He lays down His life for us (Matt 26:42; Mark 10:45; John 10:11, 15). The Lord further states, “Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; and I will turn My hand against the little ones” (Zec 13:7b). We know that Jesus’ disciples were scattered after He was crucified (Matt 26:31, 56), and the reference to “the little ones” might be better understood as “the insignificant ones” who were judged by God for the wrong they inflicted on Jesus (perhaps alluding the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70). Lastly, Zechariah seems to jump back to the future time of the Tribulation, in which two thirds of Israelites will be cut off, and a third will be spared to enter into the coming earthly kingdom (Zec 13:8). This remaining third, likely the believing remnant of Israelites at the second coming of Jesus, will be refined and tested through the fire of the Tribulation (Zec 13:9a). God says of these believing Jews, “they will call on My name, and I will answer them; I will say, ‘they are My people,’ and they will say, ‘the LORD is my God’” (Zec 13:9b). Israel, God’s covenant people, will, at last, be in a healthy relationship with the Lord as they enter into the earthly millennial kingdom with Jesus as their King.

Zechariah 12:1-9 refers to the time of the Tribulation; specifically, the battle of Armageddon, when the nations of the world gather against Jerusalem. Zechariah 12:10-14 refers to the national conversion of Israel just prior to the return of Christ. In the opening verse, God identifies Himself as the One who created everything, including mankind; and He is the One who will bring the future events to pass (Zec 12:1). He will make Jerusalem like a cup of strong alcohol to the nations, who will stumble and reel when they try to consume it (Zec 12:2). And, He would make Jerusalem like a heavy stone that will injure those who try to move it (Zec 12:3a). This will be a time when “all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it” (Zec 12:3b), and will be injured by their efforts to harm the city. The phrase in that day occurs 17 times in Zechariah chapters 12-14 and refers to the eschatological events surrounding the Second Coming of Jesus. The Lord Himself will defend Judah, saying, “I will strike every horse with bewilderment and his rider with madness. But I will watch over the house of Judah, while I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness” (Zec 12:4). The leaders of Judah will know that God is for them (Zec 12:5), and will work through them to defeat their enemies (Zec 12:6). The Lord’s deliverance will start with “the tents of Judah” so that those outside the city of Jerusalem will know He cares about them as much as He does “the house of David” and “the inhabitants of Jerusalem” (Zec 12:7). And the Lord will defend and strengthen those within Jerusalem, declaring, “In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the LORD before them” (Zec 12:8). God declares, He “will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zec 12:9). At that time, Israel will experience national conversion as the Lord pours out on them “the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn” (Zec 12:10). That is, they will mourn that their Messiah, Jesus, was rejected by them at His first coming, and will turn to Him in faith, accepting Him at His second coming. This time of mourning—as Zechariah talks to his generation—will be like the mourning that occurred when Josiah, one of Israel’s greatest kings, was killed by Pharaoh Neco “in the plain of Megiddo” (Zec 12:11; cf. 2 Chr 35:20-27). Every family will mourn, those representing the political (David and Nathan), the priestly (Levi and Shimei), and “all the families that remain” (Zec 12:12-14).

The term shepherd appears throughout the Bible. The word translates the Hebrew  רֹעֵה  ro’eh as well as the Greek ποιμήν poimen. Both words carry the same basic meaning “to pasture, shepherd, shelter, protect”[1] and “one who herds sheep, shepherd, sheep-herder.”[2] Shepherding was tough and lowly work, often performed in solitude for long periods of time and in dangerous places (Gen 31:36-40; 1 Sam 17:34-35).

"Shepherds stayed with their sheep day and night (Luke 2:8). They provided their flocks with food and water, defended them against thieves and wild animals (1 Sam. 17:34–35; Isa. 31:4; Amos 3:12), and searched for any sheep that wandered astray (Ezek. 34:12; Luke 15:4–6). Each shepherd carried a curved staff, used as a walking stick and for guiding and dividing the sheep (Lev. 27:32); a rod or club, used as a weapon; and a sling (1 Sam. 17:40). They might be aided by dogs (Job 30:1). Because shepherds were the sole source of provision, protection, and control for sheep, in ancient Near Eastern usage “shepherd” came to be a term descriptive of political leaders…Kings, priests, and prophets of Israel are characterized as faithful (Jer. 3:15; 23:4) or wicked shepherds (Isa. 56:11–12; Jer. 10:21; 23:1–2; 50:6). David in particular is called the shepherd appointed by God (2 Sam. 5:2; Ps. 78:70–72). Israel under inadequate leadership is spoken of as sheep without a shepherd (Num. 27:17; 1 Kgs. 22:17; Matt. 9:36). Shepherd imagery is also applied to God, who guides and cares for his people (e.g., Ps. 23:1–4; 28:9; 80:1; Isa. 40:11; Jer. 31:10; cf. Gen. 48:15). The eschatological Davidic king is depicted as a shepherd (Ezek. 34:23; Mic. 5:4)."[3]

The term shepherd is used figuratively in Scripture:

God the Father. God is referred to as the Shepherd who leads, feeds, and protects His people (Gen 48:15; Isa 40:11; Psa 23:1-4; 80:1; 100:1-3; Ezek 34:10-16).

Jesus as the “Good Shepherd” (John 10:14), the “Great Shepherd” (Heb 13:20), and the “Chief Shepherd” (1 Pet 5:4). As the ideal shepherd, Jesus has compassion for His sheep (Matt 9:36), feeds them with God’s Word (Mark 6:34), and lays down His life for them (John 10:11).

Human rulers. In the OT, these leaders primarily consisted of kings, prophets, and priests who were called by God to lead people into His will (Num 27:16-17; 2 Sam 5:1-2). These leaders were to feed God’s people with His Word (Lev 10:11; Deu 33:10; Ezra 7:10; Jer 3:15; Mal 2:7).

Church pastors. In the Church age, God has appointed under-shepherds (i.e. pastors) to lead, feed, and protect His people (Acts 20:28-32; Eph 4:11-14; 2 Tim 2:2; 4:2; 1 Pet 5:1-2). Pastors are appointed by God (Acts 20:28; cf. Eph 4:11) to work within the church, and with the church, serving as examples, and not “lording” their authority over others (1 Pet 5:3). Church pastors are to guard their flock against false teachers and their false doctrines, guiding believers into God’s will, and feeding them with the truths of Scripture. God’s Word is the food pastors serve to their flocks so they might be nourished and grow spiritually (1 Cor 3:2; Heb 5:12-14; 1 Pet 2:2).

Foolish and worthless leaders (Isa 56:11-12; Jer 10:21; 23:1-2; 50:6; Ezek 34:1-10; Zec 11:15-17). The two words to describe the bad shepherd in Zechariah 11:15-17 are foolish and worthless. Foolish translates the Hebrew word אֱוִלִי evili, which, in this context, connotes an immoral leader who had no regard for those to whom he was to minster. “The word [fool] is used in Scripture with respect to moral more than to intellectual deficiencies. The “fool” is not so much one lacking in mental powers, as one who misuses them; not one who does not reason, but reasons wrongly.”[4] The foremost characteristic of a fool is that God is absent from his heart; as the Scripture states, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’”  (Psa 14:1). Being devoid of any divine viewpoint or concern, the fool thinks only of self and will use others as a means of personal benefit. Zechariah describes the foolish shepherd-leader as one “who will not care for the perishing, seek the scattered, heal the broken, or sustain the one standing, but will devour the flesh of the fat sheep and tear off their hoofs” (Zec 11:16). The word worthless translates the Hebrew word אֱלִיל elil, which connotes something of no value. In Zechariah 11:17 it refers to the leader who is of no value to God or others. The worthless shepherd has no sense of commitment to the flock under his care, and “who leaves the flock” (Zec 11:17). Elsewhere, Scripture describes the worthless person as one who “digs up evil” (Pro 16:27), “makes a mockery of justice” (Pro 19:28), and “plots evil against the LORD” (Nah 1:11). He leads others away from God (Deu 13:13), is given to lewd behavior (Judg 19:22), hides from justice (Judg 20:13), is unreasonable (1 Sam 25:17), defies authority (2 Sam 20:1), is willing to lie against the innocent and promote injustice (1 Ki 21:9-13), and seeks to overpower the timid leader (2 Chron 13:7). It should be noted that worthless persons can be born into good families, for “the sons of Eli were worthless men; they did not know the LORD” (1 Sam 2:12). And, they can attach themselves to a godly leader and cause trouble, such as “the wicked and worthless men among those who went with David” (1 Sam 30:22).

 

[1] Ludwig Koehler et al., The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1994–2000), 1258.

[2] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 843.

[3] Allen C. Myers, The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987), 939.

[4] Merrill Frederick Unger, R. K. Harrison, Howard Frederic Vos et al., “Fool”, The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, (Chicago: Moody Press, 1988).

The pericope opens with a pronouncement of judgment against the leaders and land to the north and east of Judah (Zec 11:1-3), perhaps because of some wrong they’d committed against the Israelites. God then called Zechariah to act out a message to His people (Zec 11:4). The prophet’s first role was as a shepherd who pastured a flock that was doomed to slaughter (Zec 11:5-14), and his second role was as a foolish shepherd who selfishly abused his flock and was cursed (Zec 11:15-17). The bad shepherds abused the sheep (Zec 11:5), and were judged by God Himself (Zec 11:6). Acting as a shepherd, Zechariah took two staffs, which he named Favor and Union (Zec 11:7). God, speaking through Zechariah, stated, “I annihilated the three shepherds in one month, for my soul was impatient with them, and their soul also was weary of me” (Zec 11:8). The three shepherds are not identified and could represent three actual shepherds, three kings, or three offices of leadership such as king, prophet, and priest. Then, speaking to the nation again, the Lord states, “I will not pasture you. What is to die, let it die, and what is to be annihilated, let it be annihilated; and let those who are left eat one another's flesh” (Zec 11:9); this is presumably because of some sinful failing on their part. Zechariah took the staff he called Favor, and cut it in pieces, which represented God’s breaking His covenant with His people (Zec 11:10). This does not appear to be a reference to any of the major biblical covenants (i.e. Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Palestinian, Davidic, New), but a metaphor of the broken relationship between God and the people of Zechariah’s day. When Zechariah did this, he said, “the afflicted of the flock who were watching me realized that it was the word of the LORD” (Zec 11:11). Speaking as their shepherd—who had broken his staff—he asked them to pay him his wages, and they gave him thirty pieces of silver (Zec 11:12). God told Zechariah to take the money and “throw it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them” (Zec 11:13a). So he “took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD” (Zec 11:13b). This might imply the temple reconstruction was complete at the time Zechariah received his message. Matthew saw this symbolic act as prophecy concerning Judas and the betrayal of Jesus (see Matt 27:3-10). Zechariah then cut in pieces his second staff, the one he’d named Union, “to break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel” (Zec 11:14). This verse is difficult to know who he’s talking about, since the separation between Israel and Judah occurred historically after the death of Solomon in 930 B.C. God called Zechariah to assume a second role, that of a foolish shepherd (Zec 11:15). This role was to typify a leader God would raise up to punish His people, one “who will not care for the perishing, seek the scattered, heal the broken, or sustain the one standing, but will devour the flesh of the fat sheep and tear off their hoofs” (Zec 11:16). At times, God appoints unjust rulers to discipline His people (Isa 3:1-5; 10:5-11; Hab 1:5-10). Finally, concerning the unjust leaders in Zechariah’s day, God declares, “Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock! A sword will be on his arm and on his right eye! His arm will be totally withered and his right eye will be blind” (Zec 11:17). Because of his sin, the foolish shepherd’s strength and intelligence will be crippled, rendering him unfit to lead. Overall, the chapter emphasizes God’s sovereignty to administer just punishment to nations, leaders, and His people.

In Zechariah chapter ten, God promises to bless His people if they will obey Him and turn from their idols and false shepherds (Zec 10:1-3a), and encourages them with promises of future millennial blessings (Zec 10:3b-12). God opens with a call to His people to look to Him for blessings (Zec 10:1), and to turn from the idols and false leaders who were leading them away from the Lord. The Lord said, “For the teraphim speak iniquity, and the diviners see lying visions and tell false dreams; they comfort in vain. Therefore, the people wander like sheep, they are afflicted, because there is no shepherd. My anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the male goats” (Zec 10:2-3a). Idolatry is the sin of substitution in which we devote ourselves to worship something or someone in the place of God. It is foremost a sin of a covetous heart (Col 3:5) that leads us to desire more than what God provides, and to trust something or someone lesser than God to satisfy our wants and needs. The believer who is satisfied with God is content with what he has (1 Tim 6:7-11; cf. Phil 4:11), but the covetous heart is never content and always seeks more (i.e. money, success, friends, etc.) in order to feel secure or to please the flesh. In spite of their failings, God has a future for His people, and it is to make them majestic (Zec 10:3b), but only in connection with their future Messiah. God declares, “From them will come the cornerstone, from them the tent peg, from them the bow of battle, from them every ruler, all of them together” (Zec 10:4).

"From the house of Judah would come the cornerstone of the building (kingdom) He would build, namely, Messiah (cf. 3:9; Gen. 49:10; Ps. 118:22; Isa. 28:16; Jer. 30:21; Acts 4:11; Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:1–8). The cornerstone (Heb. pinnah) was a figure of a leader who would stabilize a nation and keep it from sliding down a slippery slope (cf. Judg. 20:2; 1 Sam. 14:38; Isa. 19:13). Messiah would also be like a tent peg (Heb. yathed) in that He would hold the tent (kingdom) firmly in place (cf. Judg. 4:21–22; Isa. 22:23–24; Acts 15:16). The Hebrew word also describes a peg inside a tent on which people hung beautiful things that glorified their homes (cf. 6:13; Isa. 22:22–24; Ezek. 15:3). Messiah would also be Yahweh’s bow by which He would destroy His enemies (cf. 9:13; Ps. 45:5; Rev. 19:11–16). All these figures picture the strong, stable, victorious, and trustworthy nature of Messiah’s rule."[1]

     When Messiah returns at His second coming and leads His people in battle, they will tread down their enemies (Zec 10:5), and the divided tribes of Judah and Israel will be reunited (Zec 10:6), and they will rejoice in the Lord (Zec 10:8). This will occur when God reunites His people, when He whistles for them as a shepherd calls for his sheep (Zec 10:9), and He brings them back into the land (Zec 10:10). He declares this will happen after they’ve passed through “the sea of distress” (Zec 10:11), which likely refers to the time of the Tribulation (Rev chapters 6-18). At the time God establishes His millennial kingdom, He declares, “I will strengthen them in the LORD, and in His name they will walk” (Zec 10:12). The kingdoms of this world, and those of us who make up their citizenry, do not have the answers or resources for our biggest problems, and we eagerly look forward to the return of Christ, who alone will make the world a better place. Until then, we must let our lights shine as brightly as possible, speak God’s truth, walk in His love, and share the gospel of Christ that others might come to believe in Jesus and be saved out of this fallen world (1 Cor 15:3-4; cf. John 3:16; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5).

[1] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Zec 10:4.

Zechariah chapter nine is an undated prophecy that addresses how God deals with Gentile nations who threaten Israel (Zec 9:1-8), promises the future coming of Messiah (Zec 9:9-10), and the return of Israelites back to the land with blessing (Zec 9:11-17). The chapter opens with the names of cities familiar to Israelites in Zechariah’s day; cities the Lord was against; namely, Hadrach, Damascus, Hamath, Tyre and Sidon (Zec 9:1-2). Though Tyre had built herself a fortress and accumulated great wealth (Zec 9:3), God would throw her wealth into the sea and destroy the city with fire (Zec 9:4). The surrounding cities of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and Ashdod will be judged (Zec 9:5), and God will “cut off the pride of the Philistines” (Zec 9:6). He states, “I will remove their blood from their mouth and their detestable things from between their teeth” (Zec 9:7). This most likely refers to the eating of flesh with blood in it, which God detested (Gen 9:4; Lev 3:17). Interestingly, some of the Philistines would respond positively to God’s judgments, turning to the Lord in faith, and “be a remnant for our God, and be like a clan in Judah, and Ekron like a Jebusite” (Zec 9:7b). God promises to protect His people, saying, “But I will camp around My house because of an army, because of him who passes by and returns; and no oppressor will pass over them anymore, for now I have seen with My eyes” (Zec 9:8). Some Bible scholars see the events described in verses 1-8 as a prophecy concerning Alexander the Great’s military conquests in the fourth century B.C. (Constable, Johnson, Ryrie, Wiersbe). That’s possible, though one cannot be dogmatic here. What is emphasized in this section is God’s sovereign control over Gentile nations and the promise to judge them because of their pride. Zechariah 9:9-10 is a split prophecy that refers to Jesus at His first and second comings. The entire church age fits in between these two verses. Other split prophecies are found in the OT (Isa 9:6-7; 61:1-3; cf. Luke 4:16-21). The picture of the Messiah coming, riding on the colt of a donkey, is a picture of a humble and gentle ruler, not the splendor and pride one would expect of a ruler riding on a warhorse. We know Jesus was rejected by Israel just prior to His crucifixion; and the passage ultimately finds its fulfillment in the second coming (Rev 19:11-21), when Jesus establishes His kingdom on earth (Rev 20:1-6); a kingdom that will be universal (Psa 72:8; Dan 2:35), marked by righteousness (Isa 9:6-7; Jer 23:5-6), and bring peace to the world (Isa 2:4; Mic 4:3). But to the Israelites of Zechariah’s day, who were related to God by covenant, He would set them free from the pit of Babylon (Zec 9:11), and give them hope and a double blessing to make up for their suffering (Zec 9:12). God is then pictured as a divine Warrior who uses His restored people as a weapon to bring judgment upon surrounding Gentile nations (Zec 9:13-14). The Israelites will rejoice when this happens because God will both save them from their enemies (Zec 9:15-16) and bless their crops (Zec 9:17). In all this, God is portrayed as the sovereign Ruler over His people as well as the Gentile nations who surrounded them.

In Zechariah chapter eight, God reveals He’s in control of current and future blessings, and He calls His people to walk in truth and righteousness. In the opening verses, God reveals He is “the LORD of hosts” which emphasizes His sovereignty over all; especially His people, whom He is jealous for (Zec 8:1-2). God reveals His plans for Israel by promising that the old and young will dwell safely in Jerusalem and will play in the streets (Zec 8:4-6). In addition, He will call His people from the nations of the world to dwell there (Zec 8:7-8), declaring, “I will be their God in truth and righteousness” (Zec 8:8b). The Lord spoke to the returnees in Zechariah’s day, saying, “Let your hands be strong, you who are listening in these days to these words from the mouth of the prophets, those who spoke in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, to the end that the temple might be built” (Zec 8:9). He tells them to ponder the days of recent past, when they were experiencing economic and social unrest (Zec 8:10), when, because of their sin, God “set all men one against another” (Zec 8:10b). But now, because of their obedience, He would change their situation, saying, “For there will be peace for the seed: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce and the heavens will give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things” (Zec 8:12). Just as Israel had become a curse to the nations, because of their sin, now God would make them a blessing, because of their obedience (Zec 8:13-15). But He had expectations of them; specifically, “‘speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace in your gates. Also let none of you devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love perjury; for all these are what I hate,’ declares the LORD” (Zec 8:16-17). God answered the question that was posed concerning the fasts (Zec 8:18-19a; cf. 7:3), saying, they will be changed to “joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah” (Zec 8:19). Again, this would come as the people learned to “love truth and peace” (Zec 8:19b). Finally, God encourages His people with more promises of future blessings, for many Gentiles (Zec 8:20) will see God’s blessings in Jerusalem and will say, “Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts” (Zec 8:21). Because of God’s blessing, Jerusalem will be viewed favorably, and “many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD” (Zec 8:22). The blessing will be tied to the Jews themselves, for “in those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you’” (Zec 8:23). This message would have encouraged the Jews of Zechariah’s day, knowing God was with them as they pursued truth and righteousness.

In Zechariah chapter seven, God rebuked some Jewish returnees for their religious hypocrisy, calling them to obey His commands rather than continue empty religious practices. This prophecy was given to Zechariah on December 7, 518 B.C. (Zec 7:1). Apparently, some Jewish returnees from Babylon had settled in the town of Bethel, which was located about 10 miles north of Jerusalem. They sent two men, Sharezer and Regemmelech, along with other men, supposedly “to seek the favor of the LORD” (Zec 7:2). They consulted the priests and prophets, asking, “Shall I weep in the fifth month and abstain, as I have done these many years?” (Zec 7:3). The fast they were asking about was practiced in connection with the destruction of the Solomonic temple, seventy years earlier, on August 14, 586 B.C. (see 2 Ki 25:8-9). The fast was not required under the Mosaic Law and had probably become a religious tradition. Since the temple was nearly rebuilt, they wondered if the fast would be inappropriate? Though the question was brought to the priests and prophets, God felt the need to answer them directly through His prophet, Zechariah (Zec 7:4). Though certain men from Bethel came with their question, God’s reply was broader, as He spoke “to all the people of the land and to the priests” (Zec 7:5a). God rebuked them for their religious practices which had replaced true piety, declaring they’d actually done it for themselves rather than for Him (Zec 7:5b-6). The message being delivered through Zechariah was exactly the same as that of God’s former prophets (Zec 7:7-8); a message that exposed their religious hypocrisy and unethical abuses of the vulnerable in society. God summarized the message of His prophets, saying, “Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another” (Zec 7:9-10; cf. 1 Sam 15:22; Pro 21:3; Isa 1:10-20; Hos 6:6; Mic 6:6-8). Unfortunately, the record of Israel’s past was that God’s prophets were repeatedly ignored or mistreated and the vulnerable continued to be exploited. God was calling Zechariah’s generation to be different than their forefathers, men who “refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing. They made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets; therefore, great wrath came from the LORD of hosts” (Zec 7:11-12). God repeatedly called for them to obey His commands, but they refused. “And just as He called and they would not listen, so they called and I would not listen” (Zec 7:13). The result was that they were judged and scattered among the nations because of their violations of the Law (see Ex 22:21-24; Deu 10:17-18; Jer 21:12; Mal 3:5). By their own sinful choices, “they made the pleasant land desolate” (Zec 7:14).

[Note: It was brought to my attention that I sounded barky and maybe a little angry on this lesson. Please know I was not angry, and I apologize if the tone seems that way. I pray the content gets through, even if the delivery is a bit stronger than my other lessons. Thank you. :-) ]

     In this pericope Zechariah was instructed to perform a symbolic coronation in which he placed a regal crown on Joshua, the high priest, who is a type of Christ, who is both King and Priest, and will build the future millennial temple. The Lord commanded Zechariah to meet three returnees from Babylon and take an offering from them, namely Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah (Zec 6:9-10a). These were staying at the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah (Zec 6:10b), who later is called “Hen” (Heb. חֵן Chen), which means gracious one (vs. 14). From these three men Zechariah was to “Take silver and gold, [and] make an ornate crown” (Zec 6:11a). The word crown is a translation of the Hebrew word עֲטָרָה atarah, which is used only for royalty (2 Sam 12:30; Psa 21:3). The high priest also wore a crown (Heb. נֶזֶר nezer), but it was different (Exo 29:6; 39:30). Zechariah was commanded to do something that had never occurred before; he was to take this royal crown and “set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest” (Zec 6:11b). We must remember that Zerubbabel was a descendant of King David (1 Chr 3:17–19; Matt 1:12) as well as the governor of Judah (Hag 1:1), and legally the rightful person to wear the king’s crown. However, God was using Joshua as an object lesson concerning Jesus, Israel’s future Ruler, who is both King (2 Sam 7:8-16; Psa 89:3-4; 34-37; Isa 9:6-7; Jer 23:5; Mic 4:1-3; Luke 1:26-33) and Priest (Psa 110:1-4; Heb 4:15; 5:6; 7:1-3, 11-21). God spoke through Zechariah, saying, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the LORD’” (Zec 6:12). The term Branch is a Messianic title that refers to Jesus Christ as Ruler in the line of David (Jer 23:5; 33:15); however, in this context, it reveals Him in His role as Priest. This will occur during the millennial reign of Christ. God then tells Zechariah, “Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the LORD, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices” (Zec 6:13). Jesus will unite the two offices of King and Priest. After the symbolic coronation ceremony, God told Zechariah to remove the crown from Joshua, saying, “Now the crown will become a reminder in the temple of the LORD to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen the son of Zephaniah” (Zec 6:14). This crown was to remain in the temple as a constant reminder of what God would do in the future for His people. In this way, the crown was an encouragement to all who saw it and recognized its significance; a crown that belonged to Israel’s future Ruler. Finally, addressing Zechariah’s generation, the Lord said, “Those who are far off will come and build the temple of the LORD. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. And it will take place if you completely obey the LORD your God” (Zec 6:15). Those who were “far off” referred to Jewish exiles who were still returning to Jerusalem, who would come and help “build the temple of the LORD.” This would have encouraged those in Zechariah’s day to keep working, because God was helping them. The work performed by the returnees validated Zechariah’s ministry, confirming He’d been sent by the Lord. However, being the covenant people of God, these Israelites were obligated to resume their walk with God and obey His word; therefore, Zechariah states, “And it will take place if you completely obey the LORD your God.” This was a reminder about their obligation to the Mosaic covenant and the conditions of blessing and cursing written in it (Deu 28). Though the success of the rebuilding of the temple in Zechariah’s day was conditioned on their obedience to the Mosaic Law, Israel’s future success—both national and religious—is ultimately conditioned on the reign of Messiah, who cannot fail.

In Zechariah 6:1-8, the prophet receives the eighth and final vision of the night (Zec 1:7-8). Like the first vision (Zec 1:8-17), this one included angelic beings that were used by God to render judgment upon the Gentiles nations that were hostile to Israel, His people (Zec 1:10, 14-15; 6:7-8); but whereas the first vision included angelic riders on horses (Zec 1:8), the last vision had eight horses harnessed to chariots, and these were red, black, white and dappled (Zec 6:1-3). “If the colors are significant, perhaps red symbolizes war and bloodshed, black designates death and famine, white speaks of triumph and victory, and dappled denotes pestilence and plagues (see comments on Rev. 6:1–8).”[1] The angelic riders are sent out to patrol the earth and render judgment upon the Gentile nations; specifically, Babylon and Egypt. Zechariah apparently did not understand the significance of the horses and chariots (Zec 6:4a), so he asked his angelic interpreter, “What are these, my lord?” (Zec 6:4b). The angel replied, “These are the four spirits of heaven, going forth after standing before the Lord of all the earth” (Zec 6:5). These were four angelic beings who stand before the Lord, eager to do His will. And God is described as “the Lord of all the earth” which emphasizes He is sovereignty over all (1 Sam 2:6-10; Psa 115:1-3; 135:5-6; Dan 2:20-21; 4:17, 25-26, 32, 34-35; Acts 17:24-28). He judges the Gentile nations of the world, and in this context, He’s using angelic beings to carry out His judgment. He will do this again during the time of the Tribulation (Rev 9:13-15). The teams of horses and chariots broke up, with the black and white ones going to the north, and the dappled ones going to the south (Zec 6:6). The north country refers to Babylon, which attacked from that direction. Egypt was to the south. Nothing is mentioned about the red horses and chariot. Perhaps their mission was covert, or perhaps they were on standby waiting further instructions. These angelic beings were eager to do God’s will, and the Lord set them loose, saying, “Go, patrol the earth”, which is what they did (Zec 6:7). Then God told Zechariah, “See, those who are going to the land of the north have appeased My wrath in the land of the north” (Zec 6:8). Those angelic beings who judged Babylon satisfied God’s anger against them. God controls the fate of nations, bringing blessing or cursing, peace or judgment. And, at times, He uses His angels do His will. This appears to be the case here, as well in the future time of the Tribulation when He releases angels to bring judgment upon the world.

 

[1] F. Duane Lindsey, “Zechariah,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 1557.