Zechariah 7:1-7

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1 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Kislev. 2 The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melek, together with their men, to entreat the Lord 3 by asking the priests of the house of the Lord Almighty and the prophets, “Should I mourn and fast in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?” 4 Then the word of the Lord Almighty came to me: 5 “Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted? 6 And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves? 7 Are these not the words the Lord proclaimed through the earlier prophets when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were at rest and prosperous, and the Negev and the western foothills were settled?’” ~ Zechariah 7:1-7

As we transition today into Zechariah 7, we discover it had been two years since the people of Israel had returned to the promised land of Israel from Babylon. It was 518 B.C., and the temple was halfway built. As a result, the people were encouraged because all of the obstacles had been removed for the rebuilding of the Temple and Jerusalem. Yet, there was a great danger the people would fall into a pattern that they fell into in the past. And as it turned out, they fell back into it again. Once back in the promised land, the people fell prey to ritualism which always has as its goal the disengagement of our hearts from God.

In v.1 of today's text we read, "In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Kislev."

The time was the end of November and the beginning of December. And, a small delegation came from Bethel to ask the priests of the house of the Lord about the issue of fasting. 

In v.2-3 of today's text we read, "2 The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melek, together with their men, to entreat the Lord 3 by asking the priests of the house of the Lord Almighty and the prophets, “Should I mourn and fast in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?" 

In the Book of Leviticus God prescribed one day that the Jews were to fast. And it was in the seventh month, it was Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The Lord said on that day you will afflict your souls. That was the only day that God prescribed for the Jews to abstain from food, and remember Him. 

But, as time went on, the Jews, after the captivity, decided to fast on days that were not prescribed by the Lord. They added several days to keep their memory alive regarding the Babylonian captivity and the destruction of Jerusalem. In fact, four days were added to the one day that God had given. 

The phrase at the end of v.3, "as I have done these so many years" reveals their fastings were a real pain to them, and so, they were inquiring about the validity of their rituals. They innately knew their problem was the fact that they were going through the motions. 

In v.4-7 in today's text we read, "4 Then the word of the Lord Almighty came to me: 5 “Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted? 6 And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves? 7 Are these not the words the Lord proclaimed through the earlier prophets when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were at rest and prosperous, and the Negev and the western foothills were settled?" 

In His response, God let the people know that He didn't really care about their added religion. He had not prescribed these extra four days for fasting. God is all about the sincerity of our hearts, not the ceremony that we keep. He could care less about our rituals. God always is most interested in a personal relationship with His people. But, all through time man thinks he must earn God's favor, all the while missing the point of a heart to heart relationship with the Lord.

The idea of fasting has always been a voluntary restraint from food in order that we might give our hearts to the Lord more fully. It has never been about our performance, it has always been about our relationship with Him. So, rather than being driven by the need for food, we do well to be led by God's Holy Spirit in our worship of God. When we do this, we position ourselves to be defined by God most.

In v.7 God grants perspective on the subject of religion. All of the fasts the Jews were observing, all of them were commemorating disasters brought on by their own sin. They would have been a lot better off listening to and obeying God.

Biblical fasting is a product of a broken heart. We must be careful to never think because we have performed a religious formality that we worshiped God. True worship is that which comes out of the heart that has experienced the touch of God. And, obedience to the Word of God is really the real issue. 

In addition, we must be careful to hear the words of the Lord. The people had come up with these additions themselves. These were their words, not the Lord's words. And, the sad thing is the whole reason they went into Babylonian captivity in the first place was due to the fact that they did not listen to the Lord.

As indicated at the end of v.7, there was a time when Jerusalem was inhabited, a time when it prospered. Everything flourished because they had listened to the Lord. They came to the place where they were no longer listening to and obeying the Lord. If the people had listened to God and walked in obedience, they would have never gone into Babylonian captivity. God never sanctions religion with its rituals and routine. He is against religion because it is man made and it removes the involvement of the heart in our worship of Him. We will either be captivated by that which will destroy us or we will be captivated by the One who will flourish us. The choice is ours.

God has given humanity free will, and if we choose to disregard God, and do what we want, the fruit of free will will be painful. When we find ourselves at this point, we find comfort in the One who allowed Himself to be caught in our pain. When dying on the cross, He received the fruit of our free will, and He made it possible for us to engage God with our hearts. 

Zechariah 6:9-15

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9 The word of the Lord came to me: 10 “Take silver and gold from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon. Go the same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. 11 Take the silver and gold and make a crown, and set it on the head of the high priest, Joshua son of Jozadak. 12 Tell him this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the Lord. 13 It is he who will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.’ 14 The crown will be given to Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen son of Zephaniah as a memorial in the temple of the Lord. 15 Those who are far away will come and help to build the temple of the Lord, and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. This will happen if you diligently obey the Lord your God.” ~ Zechariah 6:9-15

Today, we return to our study of the book of Zechariah. In our last study, we considered that at the end of time as we know it, God will exact His judgment on Babylon which had its beginning at the Tower of Babel. Ultimately, evil will be gathered up under the name Babylon under which organized evil had its beginning among man. And so, when the end comes, God will judge Babylon by wiping it out. At that point the fight against evil will be over.

In v.9-11 of today's text we read, "9 The word of the Lord came to me: 10 “Take silver and gold from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon. Go the same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. 11 Take the silver and gold and make a crown, and set it on the head of the high priest, Joshua son of Jozadak."

During this time in the history of the nation of Israel, every now and then, a new caravan of once captive Jews would return to Jerusalem from Babylon. Now, on this particular day a caravan of latecomers arrived having left Babylon years after the first group had come back. And this group was made up of men named Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah and Josiah who desired to contribute their gold and silver to the rebuilding of the temple.

Interestingly, these men had God-honoring names. Heldai meant "the Lord’s world." Tobijah meant "God is good." Jedaiah meant "God knows." And Josiah meant "the Lord supports." So they all had names that spoke positively of the character of God.

Now, on that very same day that the Lord spoke to Zechariah, this caravan arrives. God's providence always dovetails beautifully. And Zechariah is told to go and meet them. And, according to v.11, Zechariah was told that these men would bring silver and gold for the temple, but God tells Zechariah to take the silver and gold "and make crowns" of it. The word "crown" is written in the plural in the Hebrew and so it should read "crowns." And, in the Old Testament, with the exception of one passage, the priestly office and the kingly office were always kept separate. According to our text, the crown was meant for Joshua the high priest. 

Now, in Hebrews 7:1-3 we read, "This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2 and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” 3 Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever."

 A careful study of Melchizedek reveals he was the Lord Jesus in His pre-incarnate state. And, the afore quoted passage says he was a "king of righteousness” and a "king of peace. Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever."

In v.12-13 we read, "12 Tell him this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the Lord. 13 It is he who will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.'"

You will remember the word, "branch" in the book of Zechariah refers to the future Messiah who will come to the Jewish nation. This is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. And, this message that the Lord has given to Zechariah has a double fulfillment: one for Joshua the high priest and the other for the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

These visions the Lord gave to Zechariah were not only for the Jews of Zechariah's time, they also refer to the Messiah in the future. The "branch" is the Messiah who will come at the end of time. Just as Joshua was the high priest then and would be given strength by God to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, there will come another who will build the future temple. His name will also be Joshua or Yeshua and He will also receive the crowns of priest and king. 

In Revelation 19 we read of a vision of the coming Christ which reads, "And he says, I saw heaven open and behold, a white horse and He who sat on him was called, Faithful and True. And in righteousness, He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head, were many crowns. And He had a name written that no one knew except Himself." 

So here, the vision is of a priest who sits upon his throne. Interestingly, a King, who is both King and priest. The Lord Jesus will be both in His kingdom. When He came the first time, He cleansed the temple. And then just after He left, God came in 70 A.D. and destroyed the temple. But there’s coming a day when God will send the Messiah back to rebuild the temple. 

In v.13 we read the Branch or Messiah "will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two."

In the end, the Messiah will come to be the King and the Priest of all. In Psalm 110:4 we read, "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: 'You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.'"

Melchizedek was a priest who was also a king. The Messiah will be the same. According to Hebrews 1:3, the Lord Jesus is at the right hand of the Father right now as a priest. And, in Hebrews 1:13, all things had been put under His feet a King. And as King, He rules. And as Priest, He intercedes. The Lord Jesus will make peace between the office of king and the office of priest. In His kingdom, there will be no separation of Church and state.

In v.14-15 of today's text we read, "14 The crown will be given to Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen son of Zephaniah as a memorial in the temple of the Lord. 15 Those who are far away will come and help to build the temple of the Lord, and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. This will happen if you diligently obey the Lord your God."

The far off ones in v.15 are the Gentiles who will make a contribution to the building of the Millennial Temple. And, they will be a people who were not a people who will become God’s people in God’s kingdom. The fulfillment of His kingdom will happen because God has so planned it. But whether or not we are participants in it will be dependent upon whether we obeyed His voice.

According to Jewish tradition, Zerubbabel’s temple had a big high window in it up somewhere on the wall. And hanging in that window at the height of the temple, hung the crown of Joshua, a constant reminder that the King was coming. And, this King will include you and me in His kingdom, because as High Priest, He died for His creation.

Zechariah 6:1-8

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1 I looked up again and saw four chariots coming out from between two mountains; the mountains were made of bronze. 2 The first chariot had red horses, and the second chariot had black horses. 3 The third chariot had white horses, and the fourth chariot had horses that were heavily spotted. 4 I responded and said to the messenger speaking with me, “What are these, sir?” 5 The messenger answered and said to me, “These are the four winds of heaven that are going out after presenting themselves to the Lord of all the earth. 6 The one with the black horses is going to the north country; the white ones are going to the west; and the spotted ones are going south.” 7 Then the powerful ones approached, intent on going to patrol the earth. He said, “Go! Patrol the earth!” So they patrolled the earth. 8 Then he called out and said to me,“Look, the ones going north have provided rest for my spirit in the north.” ~ Zechariah 6:1-8

Today, we come to another vision in Zechariah 6. This is the eighth vision so far in the book of Zechariah. Today's vision helps us to see how God will judge the world and set up His millennial kingdom in the end. 

In v.1 of today's text we read, "I looked up again and saw four chariots coming out from between two mountains; the mountains were made of bronze."

In this verse God references two mountains, Mt. Zion and the Mt. of Olives. These two mountains are geographical places in Jerusalem. And the valley between them is the Kidron Valley. At the Second Coming of Christ, He will set his feet on the Mount of Olives, causing a massive earthquake, and the valley will be widened all the way down to the Dead Sea. 

Bronze is a symbol of judgment in the Bible. The bronze altar was the altar of sacrifice that took place for sin, out in the outer court. Judgment will come at the Second Coming of Christ and it will be felt on these two mountains and in this valley. If we haven’t trusted in Christ’s atonement, God will judge our sin by banishing us from His presence for eternity. Today’s passage describes the latter.

In v.2-3 in today's text we read, "2 The first chariot had red horses, and the second chariot had black horses. 3 The third chariot had white horses, and the fourth chariot had horses that were heavily spotted."

These four chariots are chariots of war. Chariots in those days formed the storm troops of an ancient army. These will be vehicles of divine judgment on the unbelieving nations of the world. These four chariots will come out from between these two mountains. 

In Revelation 1:15-16 we are given the image of Christ with feet of burnished bronze. And so, we have here a powerful scene of judgment, and the war chariots will come down this valley between these two mountains. 

According to Zechariah 14:4, "His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in its midst thereof toward the east and toward the west and half of the mountain removed toward the north, and half of it toward the south." 

God will create a whole new valley there, a huge, massive one and that will be the place the judgment of God will be hurled out onto rebellious man. This will happen at the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As you may already know, in the Bible the number four stands for universality. And, here in v.2-3 we have four chariots. According to Revelation 6, when the tribulation period begins, there will be four horsemen that are parallel in terms of color with the four that we have here in today's text. They will appear in the same context of final judgment. 

In v.4-5 of today's text we read, "4 I responded and said to the messenger speaking with me, “What are these, sir?” 5 The messenger answered and said to me, “These are the four winds of heaven that are going out after presenting themselves to the Lord of all the earth."

These angels will come out of heaven to carry out God’s judgment. Notice, they will stand before the Lord to do His bidding. In Revelation 7:1-2, we have a similar designation of the angels. So, as is always the case, the best commentary on the Bible is the Bible itself.

In v.6-7 of today's text we read, "6 The one with the black horses is going to the north country; the white ones are going to the west; and the spotted ones are going south.” 7 Then the powerful ones approached, intent on going to patrol the earth. He said, “Go! Patrol the earth!” So they patrolled the earth."

The black horses will go to the north country. And, most often, in the Bible, the north country refers to Babylon. The white horses will go out after them and the spotted ones are going toward the south country, which is almost always a reference to Egypt.  

So this angelic army of God will go out throughout the earth from the presence of the Lord to do His bidding. God’s final judgment will cover the whole world. Nothing will escape His worldwide judgment. And, according to Matthew 24-25, it will be at that time Christ will come in His glory. And at that point, the nations of the world will be gathered into this valley, the valley of Jehoshaphat, and they will be judged. 

Finally, in v.8 of today's text we read, "Then he called out and said to me,“Look, the ones going north have provided rest for my spirit in the north."

God’s Spirit will be appeased by His judgment. He will be satisfied from those who have gone to the north country because it will be from the north that the worst of all enemies will come. According to the book of the Revelation  this final evil will be Babylon. 

Sadly, it doesn't have to be this way, because as we read in Romans 5:1, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Since many will not receive the free gift of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ, God's righteous requirements will have to be exacted on them. For us who believe on the Lord Jesus, God has exacted His righteous requirements on His Son at the cross.

All of this is to say, the Bible can be completely trusted. The Bible reflects consistently the mind of God. God inspired it, and therefore the Bible doesn’t contradict itself. This is not to say that we all do not have many questions about the Bible and we struggle to figure out its meaning. Ultimately, inspiration is a matter of faith, and no matter how fervently it is believed that doesn’t mean it is comprehended. Our problem is we do not do the hard work to understand the culture within which a certain passage was written. I have found that when I do the hard work of understanding a passage, its veracity is always born out.

I think of the Hittites who are mentioned many times  in the book of Genesis. And, because no ancient historian mentioned them, and because they appeared to leave no archaeological footprint, critics of the Bible relegated them to the realm of myth. The critics reasoned that, since they had no archaeological evidence of a Hittite civilization, it must never have existed, and the Bible must be wrong. However, many archaeological discoveries, beginning in 1876, have since proved that the Hittites were a powerful people in the 15th and 16th centuries B.C. You see, when we do our homework, the Bible is proved to be God's word and it can be trusted completely. No archeological finding had ever proven the Bible wrong.

Zechariah 5:5-11

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5 Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, “Look up and see what is appearing.” 6 I asked, “What is it?” He replied, “It is a basket.” And he added, “This is the iniquity of the people throughout the land.” 7 Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman! 8 He said, “This is wickedness,” and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed its lead cover down on it. 9 Then I looked up—and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth. 10 “Where are they taking the basket?” I asked the angel who was speaking to me. 11 He replied, “To the country of Babylonia to build a house for it. When the house is ready, the basket will be set there in its place.” ~ Zechariah 5:5-11

Today, we continue our study of the Old Testament book of Zechariah. We have considered six visions, and today, we come to the seventh. This seventh vision that God gave to Zechariah to be delivered to Israel begins here in v.5-6 which reads, "5 Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, 'Look up and see what is appearing.' 6 I asked, 'What is it?' He replied, 'It is a basket.' And he added, 'This is the iniquity of the people throughout the land.'"

This vision deals with God’s judgment on sin itself. Not the sinner so much as sin, although the sinner is inextricably connected to sin. This again, is clearly millennial in its ultimate interpretation, yet it had a present condition in Zechariah’s time. 

The Jews had recently returned from Babylon. Outwardly, they had put away pagan idolatry, but inwardly in their hearts, they had become attached to the offerings of this world. They had been in Babylon long enough to get drawn into the web of its materialism.

In this vision God uses a basket. The Hebrew word He used here for basket was, in that day, the largest dry measurement tool around. This basket held about 39 quarts. This basket, at that time, was the largest possible measurement in their world, and God was saying to Israel that they were not sinning by the quarts, they were sinning by the baskets full.

In v.7-8 we read, "7 Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman! 8 He said, “This is wickedness,” and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed its lead cover down on it."

The woman was a picture of Israel's sin likened to trash being pushed down into a trash can to be thrown out. Babylon granted the people of Israel the opportunity to see wickedness from a new angle, the angle of covetousness and greed that they had never known before. In this vision God was rebuking their selfish materialism that had traveled with them from Babylon. Incidentally, this is the same greed that will formulate the final world empire of Babylon as seen in Revelation 17-18.

This will be exactly what it will be at the end of time. Just before the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus, God will see nothing but materialism piled high all over the world. And, when God sees that, then He will respond in judgment as noted in Revelation 17-18.

In v.9 of today's text we read, "Then I looked up—and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth."

Now, these women had wind in their wings. In other places in the Bible, God uses the same Hebrew word that can also be translated "spirit". So, the Spirit was in their wings. This means God will be the one who will oversee His cleansing work in the life of Israel, removing wickedness from them. It is always by His Spirit that God removes our sin. 

In v.10-11 we read, "10 “Where are they taking the basket?” I asked the angel who was speaking to me. 11 He replied, “To the country of Babylonia to build a house for it. When the house is ready, the basket will be set there in its place." 

In the Bible, Jerusalem, is mentioned more than any other city. But, second to Jerusalem, is the city of Babylon which began in the plain of Shinar, as Babel, in Genesis 10. A guy by the name of Nimrod, the grandson of Ham, said, "let's build a city that reaches up toward the heavens." It was a city conceived in rebellion. Nimrod did not want God at the center of his life, much less the center of his city. 

Ancient documents show that Nimrod married a woman by the name of Semiramis. And they bore a son they named, Tammuz. Semiramis claimed that Tammuz was miraculously born of a sunbeam. And that he was the savior of the world.  So, in the early stages of human history, back in Babel, we have Satan working with a counterfeit, a virgin born savior. As Tammuz grew up in the land of Shinar, he was killed. He was gored by a bull and he died. And it was said that Semiramis wept for him for 40 days. But after 40 days he rose from the dead. So now, we have a virgin born savior of the world, who died and rose again. Stems all the way back to Babylon. Satan was working hard at producing a counterfeit, even back then. 

The seeds of human rebellion that were birthed in Babylon so long ago, had laid hold of the children of Israel during their Babylonian captivity. And, all of the visions in Zechariah to this point have been future, not past. The Babylonian captivity had already taken place. So, this vision doesn't refer to the Babylonian captivity, it refers to a future event.

This vision, here in today's text, refers to the end of time recorded in the book of the Revelation when there will be a Jewish revival. In Revelation 7 God will raise up 144,000 Jewish evangelists who will believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah, for themselves. Then, they will be used of God to evangelize the whole world. This will happen during the Tribulation. 

During all of this, God will pour out his wrath on the earth. And, Satan will unleash his fury on the people of Israel and those led to faith in the Lord Jesus. At the end of the Tribulation, the Lord Jesus will return and in one fell swoop, in one day, as Zechariah has already said, he will remove all wickedness, and He will finally judge Babylon.

God is sovereign and He can be trusted with the smallest details of our lives, even the most unwanted moments that frighten us the most. This life-long issue that everyone who has ever walked this earth has struggled with, can be addressed through one simple quote from William Booth who once said, "The greatness of man's power is the measure of his surrender." I might add, "Measured in his surrender to God."

Zechariah 5:1-4

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1 I looked again, and there before me was a flying scroll. 2 He asked me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll, twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.” 3 And he said to me, “This is the curse that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished. 4 The Lord Almighty declares, ‘I will send it out, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely by my name. It will remain in that house and destroy it completely, both its timbers and its stones.’” Zechariah 5:1-4

At this point in the book of Zechariah, we have considered five visions which were rather encouraging to the people of Israel. And, even though God has a tremendous heart for the Jews, He has always had a tremendous heart for the world, as well. But, as we saw in Zechariah 3, God must deal with our sin before we can access His blessing.

In v.1-2 of today's text we read, "1 I looked again, and there before me was a flying scroll. 2 He asked me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll, twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide."

Zechariah sees a scroll which was rather large, twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide. That is thirty feet by fifteen feet. And, it was a flying scroll, which meant it was unwound. It was a wide-unrolled scroll flying through the air, and, it was exactly the size of the Holy Place in the tabernacle. That meant God made it to conform to His divine dimensions. It meant the scroll was the divine standard by which He judges all things. 

Now, as we will see, this scroll contained the curse of God’s judgment which needlessly awaited every person who had no atonement for his sin. The criterion for God’s judgment has always been and will always be His definition of all things. God made this flying scroll to conform to the Holy Place in the tabernacle in the temple because that was the form of His divine measurement. And the flying scroll is simply the curse that is based on God’s divine measures. That’s the criterion for judgment. This is a symbol of the Word of God, and it is the Word of God that is alive and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, that pierces and divides accordingly. It is the Word of God that is the criterion, the written and the living Word of God.

In v.3 of today's text we read, "And he said to me, “This is the curse that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished."

Here, God uses exactly the same phrase that He used to describe the Mosaic Law when it was given on tablets of stone. “On one side and on the other side.” Again, aligning it with His divine standard. His divine standard is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus said in John 3:17-18, "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son."

God will not judge mankind on the basis of man's good works, He will judge man on the basis of His truth. And, His Word is the truth. Judgment will always be based on the Word of God. So the criterion for God’s judgment on the sinner is God’s Word. His written Word, the Bible, and His living Word, the Lord Jesus.

But His judgment received by man will be needless since the Lord Jesus took the penalty for our sin on Himself on the cross. In 2 Corinthians 5:21 we read, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

Again, in v.3 we read, "And he said to me, 'This is the curse that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished.'" 

The better translation of the word "land" is "earth." God is describing the finality and totality of His judgment on all mankind at the end of time as we know it. And, the word "curse" means the punishment or the retribution, which will fall on those who reject God’s Word and His Son. So, the scroll describes God's judgment. 

According to Revelation 5, when the Lord Jesus comes, He will take the scroll out of the hand of His Father and He will unroll it and the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven bowls, will come forth. This will happen during that seven year period designed to bring Israel back to God. In Jeremiah 30:7 it is called "A time of Jacob's trouble." You will remember that Israel is the believing name of Jacob, therefore it is a time when God will draw unbelieving Israel or Jacob back to Himself. And, once He does, He will use them to reach the world with the Gospel.

We read at the end of v.3, "every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished."

For those who have no forgiveness for violating God's law, and we have all done that, they will feel the wrath of God's rod. The rod and the staff used by the shepherd will either comfort us or they will judge us. It all depends upon what we did with the Lord Jesus' offer of salvation.

In v.3, God highlights two specific sins, stealing and lying. These are mentioned here because God wrote His law on one side of the tablet of stone and on the flip side He wrote the rest of it. There were five laws on one side and five laws on the other side. On the front side, the command about stealing, was the third command, the middle of the five. On the other side, swearing falsely was the third of the five, the middle of the five. By referring to the middle one on both sides of His law, God was encompassing the whole law. 

And so, we find that by taking one command from each side of the Mosaic Law, the middle command, God was representing the whole Law and He is simply saying that if a man defiles God’s law on one side or God’s law on another side, he will be banished. 

And, if a person has not received the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ, he will stand condemned by those acts of violating God’s law. Religious arrogance and personal pride are both major stumbling blocks for people when they are offered the unmerited and undeserved Gift of God through His Son. And, v.3 ends with it says they will be banished or separated from all that is good and whole for eternity. 

Finally, in v.4 of today's text we read, "The Lord Almighty declares, ‘I will send it out, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely by my name. It will remain in that house and destroy it completely, both its timbers and its stones."

This judgment can be seen in Revelation 6-16. It will be a needless judgment in a sense, since the Lord Jesus came to bear the penalty for our sin. All those who reject God's free gift of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ will suffer this judgment. C.S. Lewis once said, "A man whose hands are full of parcels can’t receive a free gift." Most people do not know this forgiveness of sin because it is accessed by our need to let go of all our "good works", and simply cry out to the God of the Bible for His help in order to receive His amazing gift of GRACE through the Son of His name, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Zechariah 4:8-14

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8 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. 10 “Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone in the hand of Zerubbabel?” 11 Then I asked the angel, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?” 12 Again I asked him, “What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?” 13 He replied, “Do you not know what these are?” “No, my lord,” I said. 14 So he said, “These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth.” ~ Zechariah 4:8-14

The book of Zechariah is framed up by several visions, some say eight and some say ten. This is the fifth prophecy in this book from God regarding the future of Israel. God is not finished with Israel even though she has currently, by and large, rejected the Lord Jesus as her Messiah.

Now, this prophecy, in our text for today, underscores not only the certainty of the completion of the rebuild of the temple in Jerusalem, but it also is a prediction of what God will do with Israel just after the Tribulation in the Millennium. In the Millennium there will be a Temple where Israel will worship God.

In v.8-9 of Today's text we read, "8 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you."

The "me" in these two verses is the Angel of the Lord or the pre-incarnate Lord Jesus Christ. One in the same are they. And, God the Father lays out the plan and God the Son directs its fulfillment and God the Holy Spirit supplies its power. The whole Trinity was involved with Israel in that day as they built their temple, and they as well will do the same thing in the future as His Millennial kingdom is ushered into this world. 

In v.10 of today's text we read, "Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone in the hand of Zerubbabel?" 

The eyes spoken of here are also the eyes of the Lord which look throughout the whole earth, looking for hearts that are tilted toward Him. And, the number seven indicates His eyesight is perfect. He is omniscient and nothing comes into our lives apart from His will. He knows and controls all.

In Zerubbabel's day, some of the people were skeptical about this temple that it did not match up to the temple that Solomon built. They did not have the Lord as their primary audience, and this is why they missed the importance of this rebuild. And so, the Lord says, "Who has despised the day of small things?" We worship a big God with a big mission that will one day be completed. Yet for all of God's bigness, He has a remarkable love for the small. He sets his eye upon small people in small places during small moments. The Son of God, who “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,” even became small to save us.

If this omniscient God who knows everything rejoiced when they started rebuilding the temple, it was no small thing. The fact that God is made happy by His people is no small thing. And, if it is small to some, then they just do not get how He works. And, Zerubbabel’s temple didn’t look like much, but it was used of God to bring Israel back to Himself. 

In v.11-14 we read, "11 Then I asked the angel, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?” 12 Again I asked him, “What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?” 13 He replied, “Do you not know what these are?” “No, my lord,” I said. 14 So he said, “These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth."

These "two olives trees" are "two anointed ones." As the lampstand symbolizes Israel in full fellowship with God, the two olive trees will be the channel through which the blessing of God will flow to the nation. And those two things are the office of king and priest. The two anointed ones are literally translated "sons of oil." And, the oil is fresh oil out of a tree rather than manufactured oil. Here, God was doing something that only He could do. There is no human contribution in this. This is the power of the Holy Spirit flowing through the yielded lives of His people. It will be the Lord Jesus Christ who will start and finish the salvation of willing Israel. As the Scriptures say, "He is the author and perfector of our faith."

And, v.14 says, "These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth." The Messiah will be the source, the channel of blessing flowing through the Spirit of God to the people and then radiating back His glorious reality. 

In Revelation 11:4 we read, "They are 'the two olive trees' and the two lampstands, and 'they stand before the Lord of the earth.'"

These witnesses will, during the Tribulation, announce to the world that the King Priest is coming to establish His kingdom. In Matthew 5:14, the  Lord Jesus said, "You are the light of the world.” And, then in Luke 12:35 He said, "Keep your lamps burning." And, then in Ephesians 5:8, Paul wrote, "For you were once darkness, but now are you light in the Lord: walk as children of light." 

The Lord Jesus is the light who shines through the cracks and crevices of the broken. He shines through those who are willing to be small in the eyes of others. And, through our yielded lives He is glorified.

Zechariah 4:1-7

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1 Then the angel who talked with me returned and woke me up, like someone awakened from sleep. 2 He asked me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven channels to the lamps. 3 Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.” 4 I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 He answered, “Do you not know what these are?” “No, my lord,” I replied. 6 So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty. 7 “What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’” ~ Zechariah 4:1-7

Today, we come to Zechariah 4, and God delivers a fifth prophecy to Zechariah which reiterates: in the future, Israel will be reinstated as God’s witnessing nation. 

As you already know, the book of Zechariah is framed up by visions. Throughout this book, Zechariah was awake when God revealed them to him. But, in this chapter, Zechariah has fallen asleep. That's the difference between dreams and visions. A dream is when you see them while you're sleeping. A vision is you see these pictures but you're awake. Now, it could be that this is in a night, and so he hasn't gotten much sleep and he was struggling. It is as if, he saw it and he nodded off and he woke up again, out of his sleep. 

In v.1-3 of today's text we read, "1 Then the angel who talked with me returned and woke me up, like someone awakened from sleep. 2 He asked me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven channels to the lamps. 3 Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.'"

Zechariah sees the olive trees producing the olive oil for the menorah, the lampstand. The oil is being piped up into these receptacles, these bowls, and then the spouts that go into the pipes that feed each of the lamps individually. And there was a constant supply of oil without the help of any man. The oil flowed to each of the seven lamps on the one big lampstand from seven pipes coming from a big bowl of oil. And the bowl of oil is getting its oil from the two olive trees. This vision is of an automatic lamp. 

Now, in the temple of the tabernacle, the oil had to be supplied by the priests. So, it was not automatic, but this is an automatic lamp. In the holy place, the priest had to go in and trim the lamp all the time in order to keep the oil in there.

God was revealing a message to Zechariah which was God was going to keep this temple rebuilding program going. In fact, the nation of Israel will perpetuate on through the centuries until the Millennium. This is a vision revealing the perpetual state of Israel as God's witness to mankind.  

In v.4-6 of today's text we read, "4 I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 He answered, “Do you not know what these are?” “No, my lord,” I replied. 6 So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty." 

Ultimately, in the lampstand we see a symbol of the one who is truly the light of the world. It is none other than the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. In Isaiah 49:5-6 we read, "5 And now the Lord says, he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord and my God has been my strength—6 he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth."

God will restore Israel back into the promised land, and He, the Messiah will bring His salvation to all peoples of the earth. In the Millennium, Israel will be the primary bearers of the Gospel message to all of mankind. And, the ultimate light is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Luke 2:32 we read, "a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel." This verse is written of the Lord Jesus when He was a baby. And, in John 8:12, the Lord Jesus said, "I am the light of the world." When He said those words He was standing right in front of the massive menorah that was there in the Temple in Jerusalem. All along, the lampstand spoke of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition, the lampstand pictures Israel in full fellowship with the Messiah. Israel will be restored to the place of usefulness, and they will be God's testimony to the world. 

Once again, in v.6 of today's text we read, "So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty."

This prophecy will not be the result of human strength. It will not come to pass by man's ingenuity or force. God says that it will only happen by His Spirit. God wanted Zerubbabel, a contemporary of Zechariah, to understand that without human strength, God is going to preserve Israel. Oil, a symbol of the Holy Spirit in the Bible is used in this passage. And the work of God can never be accomplished in the energy of the man. His work is and will always be the product of the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Rather than thinking, I've got an idea and I hope God blesses it, and I'm going to go out and push this idea through. We do well to watch what God is doing in this world and to get on board with Him. We do well to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. In this way our ministry will be organic.

In v.7 of today's text we read, "What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it!"

When we place the Lord Jesus in the middle of the ministry equation, we will see a mountain formed out of a molehill. From this conviction, there will always be an unlimited supply of power from the Holy Spirit. And, His purposes will not only be realized in us, they will be realized through us. This is what the Lord Jesus meant when He talked about eternal life.

Zechariah 3:6-10

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6 The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua: 7 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here. 8 “‘Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. 9 See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day. 10 “‘In that day each of you will invite your neighbor to sit under your vine and fig tree,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” ~ Zechariah 3:6-10

Justification is different than sanctification. The believer in Christ is justified by his faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross for the forgiveness of his sin. Justification is a one time event in the life of the believer. 

Sanctification, on the other hand, is the process that the believer in Christ enters into once he is justified and made alive to God. God loves us just as we are, but He loves us too much to let us stay the way we are. Thus, we have sanctification, and, His goal through our sanctification or the change of our souls (including our minds, wills and emotions) is our ability to be used by Him in the lives of others for eternity.

In context, we have been considering the fourth vision that God gave to Zechariah in Zechariah 3. The first three visions are all physical and they focus on the externals. As we pointed out in our last blog and podcast, the next set of visions all will deal with the heart of Israel. So, the thrust of this fourth vision is God changing the hearts of the Jews.

In v.6-7 in today's text we read, "6 The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua: 7 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here."

This is sanctification teaching, not justification teaching. The justification of the believer in Christ is the result of the work of God, totally. God justifies us only through His Son who earned our justification, or rightness before God, on the cross. This is not the case with our sanctification which is the process whereby God equips the believer for ministry to others.

In the day when Israel believes on the Lord Jesus, they will receive the indwelling Spirit. It will be at that point that they will be able to pattern their lives after God's way of thinking and living. This is why in v.7 we read, "If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here."

We experience God's sanctification when we are faithful to do His will. So, when Israel becomes like God and obedient to Him, that will be the sign that they have been justified through believing in the Messiah's work on the cross for the forgiveness of their sin.

Then, at the end of v.7, God defines their ministry. God says, "Then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here."

When we study the millennial kingdom, it will be Israel who will bring the nations into the presence of God. Israel will serve God and the people as priests. Even in the Tribulation, it will be Israel who will go out and convert the Gentiles to the Lord.

At the end of v.7 we read, "and I will give you a place among these standing here." God will let Israel have access to the places that angels do now. Israel will not only be special as a nation of God's priests, they will have the special privilege of ruling over Israel in the Millenium.

In v.8 of today's text we read, "Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch."

The Israel of Zechariah's day were symbols of the future Israel, the Israel of the Tribulation and the Millenium. The Branch will come and He will be Israel's Redeemer. The word Branch speaks of the Lord Jesus' humiliation, rejection and death. Or, His cross. Literally it means the sprout or the shoot.

In the Old Testament, "the Branch" is consistently used of Messiah in four ways. In Isaiah 11:1, the Branch of David speaks of His place as King. The Gospel according to Matthew presents the Lord Jesus as the KING. Here in Zechariah 3 He is called "My servant the Branch." The Gospel according to Mark describes Him as the SERVANT. In Zechariah 6:12-13, He is called "the Man whose name is the Branch." In the Gospel according to Luke, the Lord Jesus is presented as the MAN. And in Isaiah 4:2, He is called "the Branch of YHWH." In the Gospel according to John, John presents the Lord Jesus as GOD.

In v.9-10 of today's text we read, "9 See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day. 10 “‘In that day each of you will invite your neighbor to sit under your vine and fig tree,’ declares the Lord Almighty."

God uses a third name to describe the Lord Jesus. Here He is "the Stone." This stone, here in Zechariah 3, has seven eyes which speaks of His ability to see and to know completely. It also speaks of the promise that at His second coming, when, in one day, He will destroy Israel's enemies, and then, He will set up His kingdom and bring in holiness and peace. 

Notice that there are seven eyes. This is figurative and the number seven speaks of His perfection. Perfect knowledge. Omniscience. He is the Omniscient Stone.

In Isaiah 8:14, the Messiah was called a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. But in Isaiah 28:16, He was called a stone of refuge. The Lord Jesus Christ is either a stone of refuge or a stone that causes one to stumble. It depends upon what we do with Him. Believing in Him makes Him our refuge. Rejecting Him makes Him our stumbling stone.

There is coming a day when Israel will believe on the Lord Jesus and when that happens, "each of you will invite your neighbor to sit under your vine and fig tree." Throughout the Scriptures, the vine and the fig tree are associated with peace. And people sitting under vines and fig trees are associated with peaceful times. There will be no more fighting at that time, and His peace will reign throughout the whole earth.

Zechariah 3:1-5

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"1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. 2 The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. 4 The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.” 5 Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by." ~ Zechariah 3:1-5

An incredible promise to the Jews is found in Romans 11:1 which reads, "Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin."

God has a wonderful future for Israel, and no book in the Bible makes it more clear than Zechariah. God has not changed His posture toward Israel, He will fulfill His promises to them. And, there is coming a day when they will place their faith in God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Today, we come to the fourth vision in Zechariah. The first three visions had the purpose of restoring the people of Israel to God's promised land, the judgment of Israel's enemies and the city of Jerusalem will be rebuilt. This prophecy has had multiple fulfillments and one day its fulfillment will be final in the Millennium.

The first three visions that we have already dealt with, all deal with physical externals. With the beginning of the next set of visions, God will deal with the heart of Israel. God can not and will not fulfill His covenants with Israel until they have been justified in His sight. And so, there has to be salvation in the land before there’s going to be restoration to the land. And that’s precisely what is discussed in this fourth vision.

In v.1-2 of today's text we read, "1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. 2 The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?"

In these two verses God begins to reveal to us how a rebellious sinner goes from being ungodly to being godly. The Jews knew they had sinned. And it’s for sure they knew there was no basis for which God was to bless them because of their sin. They knew God couldn’t tolerate their evil. God had to do something for them that they could not do to themselves: He had to give them a new heart. But, before He can give anyone a new heart, He must deal with our sin first.

In v.1 of today's text we see Joshua the high priest. This is not the Joshua who led the children of Israel into the land in the book of Joshua. This Joshua was the high priest mentioned in Haggai 1:1 and Ezra 5:2. He is also mentioned later in this book in Zechariah 6:11. This Joshua was actually the high priest at that time. In the book of Haggai it is noted that he was the high priest, the son of Jehozadak. And Jehozadak was one of the contemporaries of Zerubbabel, who when they came back from the Babylonian captivity, had led some of the people.

Now, as we look at Joshua the high priest, we are seeing more than Joshua. In the vision of the rider on the red horse, the hammerers, the horns and everything else in this book of Zechariah, these symbols have significance much broader than their own identity. So, Joshua represents a much broader symbol. In fact, Joshua stands for Israel.  

Throughout the Scriptures, the high priest is always known as the representative of the people. When the high priest went into the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, he acted on behalf of the whole nation. For them he prayed, for them he sacrificed, and what happened to him happened to the nation.

Now, in v.2, we read, "The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem." He doesn't say, "Joshua" because Joshua is used as a part of the whole. Joshua is representative of Israel and he is standing before the Angel of the Lord who is Jesus Christ. And, the Angel of the Lord here rebukes Satan. He will not hear the accusation of Satan because Israel will be His people. 

Notice that there are two Lords in this text, speaking of the first two persons of the Trinity. The second person of the Trinity has the ultimate responsibility for judgment to the first person. In the wonderful workings of the Trinity, each of the three all have their role. And, in today's text, it was for the Son to ask the Father to do the rebuking of their arch enemy. This is why it is phrase as: "The Lord rebuke you, Satan." The Lord Jesus was asking the Lord, the Father, to rebuke the enemy.

In v.3-4 we read, "3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. 4 The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you."

The very same Hebrew word used here for "stood" in v.3 is used in Deuteronomy 10:8, Judges 20:28, Ezekiel 44:15, and 2 Chronicles 29:11 to describe the work of the high priest. Here is Joshua, the high priest, ministering before the Angel of the Lord who is the pre-incarnate Lord Jesus Christ. And, according to v.1, "Satan is standing at his right side to accuse him."

Even though accused by the one whose name means "one who opposes" Joshua or Israel is justified in God's sight. God has always forgiven people as the result of them admitting that they are a sinner and crying out for God's help. At this point, God has cleverly found ways to apply the perfect righteousness of His Son to the one who cries out for His help and is repentant. 

All of this clearly shows that God is not finished with Israel. He has not set them aside, He still has a plan for His people. He must because there are certain promises that He has made that have not yet been fulfilled. 

Revelation 12 describes the future of God dealing with Israel, how, even in the Tribulation, He will protect and bring them to Himself. How when the armies of the beast will chase them into the wilderness, and how the ground will open up and swallow the foreign armies under the control of Satan. And, at the center of it all will be His Son, the second person of the Godhead, the Lord Jesus Christ.

According to v.3, Joshua who represents Israel, "was dressed in filthy clothes." This literally means he was dressed in excrement-covered clothes. He stands there before the Lord in human waste that goes forth from his body. And, the excrement is all over his garments. Such is the nature of our sin.

In v.4, the Angel of the Lord orders that Joshua's crap clothes be taken off of him. Oh, the marvelous grace of God. Only God can cleanse man's sin. On the Day of Atonement, when Aaron offered the sacrifices, he wore his simple linen outfit. And when atonement had been made, he came out and put on his festival garments. When atonement is over, we are to celebrate! God's salvation makes the believer holiness to the Lord. 

In v.5 of today's text we read, "Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by."

The prophet Jeremiah said, "all of our righteousness is as filthy rags to the Lord." And, we never want to stand before the Lord in our own goodness. The name Joshua is the Old Testament version of Yeshua or Jesus. God has applied the perfection of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, on all who have trusted Him as their Savior. It is only in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that anyone can be saved. In fact, according to Romans 10:13, "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Zechariah 2:6-11

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6 “Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the Lord, “for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven,” declares the Lord. 7 “Come, Zion! Escape, you who live in Daughter Babylon!” 8 For this is what the Lord Almighty says: “After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye— 9 I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me. 10 “Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the Lord. 11 “Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. 12 The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem. 13 Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.” ~ Zechariah 2:6-11

Today, we continue our study of Zechariah's prophecy to the people of Israel with regard to Jerusalem. As we saw last time, Zechariah 2 is a vision to tell Israel the wonderful news that Jerusalem will be rebuilt. But, the reality is they were in a situation of terrible degradation, humiliation and sadness. The city had been destroyed. And, they were an insignificant minority, wondering how they would defend themselves, much less rebuilt the city. 

In v.6-9 of today's text we read, "'6 Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,' declares the Lord, 'for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven,' declares the Lord. 7 'Come, Zion! Escape, you who live in Daughter Babylon!' 8 For this is what the Lord Almighty says: 'After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye— 9 I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me.'"

Zechariah comes to the people with this third vision and gives them the message that God yet has a marvelous future for Jerusalem. Essentially he was saying, "Put your hearts into the rebuild of Jerusalem because God has your back and He will see to it that you will succeed."

In the first vision, the rider on the red horse predicted hope for downtrodden Israel. The second vision was of the horns and the craftsmen, underscoring the fact that God would destroy Israel's enemies. And now, in this third vision, God says, "You will be successful! in the rebuild of Jerusalem."

This is directed at the captives who are still in Babylon. And, as God tells His people always, "Get out of the world system." For Israel, getting out of the world's system meant that they would get back into the land of God's promise.

But, the Lord tells the people to go to the north in v.6. That is confusing until we remember that from Jerusalem everything is north because north is the only way out of the city of Jerusalem. And all the conquerors had come from the north. Nebuchadnezzar came from the north. Even in 70 A.D., Titus came from the north. Everybody who ever entered the city as an enemy came from the north because from the north is the only way into the city.

According to 2 Kings 17:6, the Jews in the exile were scattered over an area from the Gozan River, which was 200 miles west of Nineveh, over to Medea, which was 300 miles east. Some of them were in Moab. Some of them were in Amman. Some of them were in Egypt, and some of them were in Edom. They were all over the place. And He’s saying, "Come back. I am doing a new work in the promised land."

Interestingly, according to Revelation 17 & 18, the final world system will be Babylon. And, as the world comes to its end, God will call Israel out of Babylon in the future. This will happen during the time of the Tribulation. And, of course, the reason to flee Babylon is that God is going to destroy them.

Once again, in v.8-9 we read, "8 For this is what the Lord Almighty says: “After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye— 9 I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me."

The Lord will send the Lord. The Lord of Hosts, which is the Father, will send the Lord of Hosts, the Son. And He will be the One who comes to defeat the nations and to deliver His people. Two thirds of the Trinity is right here in this Old Testament verse.

The Second Coming is mentioned about 1,845 times in the Scriptures. For every one time the first coming is mentioned or alluded to, the second coming is mentioned or alluded to eight times. Needless to say, it is a frequent theme. Thankfully, this world will not stay the way it is. Jesus Christ will one day rule for eternity and sin and death will be things of the past.

Interestingly, according to Matthew 25, when Christ comes and judges the nations, He will judge them on the basis of the way they treated Israel. He says in Matthew 25:40: "If you’ve done it unto the least of these My brethren, you’ve done it to Me.”

Then in v.10-11 of today's text we read, "10 “Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the Lord. 11 “Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you."

God's people are to rejoice because God will be present with us. God says in v.10, "I will live among you." In the end, God will be there in person and in visible form. Then, according to v.11, God's salvation will be the gift to all who will be there.

In v.12 of today's text we read, "The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem."

This is the only place in the Bible where it’s called "the holy land." This is the only time that phrase is ever used. This will be the millennial title for Israel. 

Then in v.13 of today's text we read, "Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling."

God is always attentive, He has a plan, a perfect plan. And, all of His plans will one day come to fruition. His plans are far more intricate and sure than we know. I think of the fact that if I had entered college when I had graduated from high school, I would have never met my wife. You see, God's timing is always perfect. 

I didn't become a believer in Christ until I had graduated from high school in June of 1981. When I was ready, God saw fit for me to enter Columbia Bible College, I enrolled in September of 1983. Then, my wife entered Columbia Bible College in September of 1985. Had I entered college right out of high school, I would have never met her. God can be trusted to bring about the best plan for our lives. And, since He has that part taken care of, we can be focused on how we fit into what He is doing in this world. The scripture says, "Be in the world but not of the world." That which is paramount in our hearts will be that which defines us most.

Zechariah 2:1-5

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1 Then I looked up, and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 I asked, “Where are you going?” He answered me, “To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is.” 3 While the angel who was speaking to me was leaving, another angel came to meet him 4 and said to him: “Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of people and animals in it. 5 And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within.’  ~ Zechariah 2:1-5

Today, we transition into Zechariah 2, which has as its main theme the future glory of the city of Jerusalem. Fourteen miles west of the Dead Sea and three miles east of the Mediterranean, located on a rocky plateau about 2,500 feet above sea level and 3,800 feet above the Dead Sea sits the city of Jerusalem. It is a naturally fortified city because it is on a plateau. It can only be entered from the north. God chose this place to be His holy habitation. And, the city of Jerusalem is the one city that dominates the Bible.

In Luke 21:24 we read, "Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." 

Even though the rebirth of the nation of Israel happened in 1948, Gentiles still control Jerusalem. But, the miracle is the fact that the nation of Israel continues in our world! None of us have ever met a Jebusite, a Hivite, an Amorite, a Moabite, or an Edomite. But, we have surely met Israelites. We have met them because God has preserved them in their own land, even though they are surrounded by enemies. 

When Israel's deliverer comes, Jerusalem will be exalted. In Isaiah 66:10 we read, "Rejoice Jerusalem. Be glad with her, all who love her. Rejoice with her for joy all you who mourn for her. The Lord says, 'Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river.'" That day is soon coming.

In v.1-2 of today's text we read, "1 Then I looked up, and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 I asked, “Where are you going?” He answered me, “To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is."

In the days of Zechariah, the Jews were in a terrible situation. The wall of Jerusalem was no longer and that once glorious home for the Jews was left in shambles. They were a small, insignificant minority, wondering how they would defend themselves. They had been threatened by their enemies, the Samaritans, and, for a short period, they had stopped rebuilding their city. 

In Zechariah 2, Zechariah delivers a third vision and through it he told the people to commit to the rebuild of Jerusalem because God was in it. God, through Zechariah, is reminding the Jews that they are involved in an eternal plan. 

One of our greatest challenges in this life is maintaining an eternal perspective. Life goes by so quickly. And yet we often get caught up in the day to day tasks and we forget that no one is promised tomorrow on this earth. James 4:14 refers to human life as a vapor: it appears for a while and then it vanishes. Perhaps if we remembered this truth we would have an easier time also remembering our purpose on earth. Life isn’t about accumulating money, power, or fame. Life’s about fulfilling God’s purpose for us. We must focus, therefore, on His eternal perspective.

In Colossians 3:2 we read, "Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things."

Although we live in time now, God created us for eternity. As Ecclesiastes 3:11 read, "God has also placed eternity in their hearts." We may live in time now, but eternity must be the backdrop of our lives. We must learn to live for eternal purposes.

In this vision, Zechariah is enabled to see the unseeable. God gives him eyes to see the big picture, to see what God sees. Zechariah sees a man who is measuring Jerusalem and that this great city that will be rebuilt.

In v.3-4 of today's text we read, "3 While the angel who was speaking to me was leaving, another angel came to meet him 4 and said to him: “Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of people and animals in it."

In Ezekiel 40:2, Ezekiel had a vision much like this one. “In the visions God brought me to the land of Israel, set me on a high mountain in which there was a structure like a city on the south. And he brought me there, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate.”

Given the context in Ezekiel 40, there is little question that the man measuring Jerusalem is the Lord Jesus Christ. But, he is giving the dimensions of the Millennial Jerusalem. And, another angel interprets the message from the Angel of the Lord. He tells him to go back and tell Zechariah that Jerusalem will be rebuilt. Zechariah is bewildered because of the vastness of the city.

In v.5 of today's text we read, "And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within."

This "wall of fire" symbolically refers to God’s protection and presence of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. This vision also speaks to the rebuilding of the New Jerusalem, and according to Revelation 21:1–4, it will be rebuilt just before the Millennium.

In ancient times, a city without walls was vulnerable to enemy attacks. This "wall of fire" speaks of God’s promise to be a wall of fire around Jerusalem. And, all who believe in Him, the God of the Bible, can be assured that He takes care of His own.