Love as Jesus Loved

“Now in the fourth year of King Darius it came to pass that the Word of the Lord came to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the nineth month, Chislev, when the people sent Sherezer, with Regem-Melech and his men, to the house of God, to pray before the Lord, and to ask the priests who were in the house of the Lord of hosts, and the prophets, saying, ‘Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years?’” Zechariah 7:1-3

Two years have passed since the Lord last gave Zechariah a word to be recorded in the Scriptures. Regem-Melech is Hebrew for king’s official. It could be a person’s name or a title. The main point is that the people sent Sherezer, the king’s official and his men to God’s house to pray. Wonderful things happen when people call on the Name of the Lord. The people wanted to know if they needed to weep and fast during the fifth month as they did in the past.

“Then the Word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, ‘Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: when you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those 70 years, did you really fast for Me—for Me? When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves? Should you not have obeyed the Words which the Lord proclaimed through the former prophets when Jerusalem and the cities around it were inhabited and prosperous, and the South and the Lowland were inhabited?’” Zechariah 7:4-7

Have you ever had someone do something for you, but you sensed that it was really more about making themselves feel better about themselves, and not because they truly cared about you? When I did volunteer work among orphans in China and among Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong, I needed the Lord to remind me that these deeds were not about making myself feel better, but about providing a demonstration of God’s love for these hurting souls. I needed to sit and listen to them, shed tears with them, pray with them, and listen to the voice of my Heavenly Father so that I would have relevant and helpful words to give them. They needed to feel heard, seen and loved.

“Then the Word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: execute true justice, show mercy and compassion everyone to his brother. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart against his brother.’ But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the Law and the Words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus, great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen, says the Lord of hosts. But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known. Thus, the land became desolate after them, so that no one passed through or returned. For they made the pleasant land desolate.” Zechariah 7:8-18

“Should we weep and fast as we did in the past?” The people wanted their priests and prophets to answer this question. Zechariah had a Word from the Lord. It was the same message that the former prophets had commanded them, namely, do justly, show mercy and have compassion.

Rather than fast and weep, they could advocate in lawcourts for those who had no legal representation. They could do charitable deeds for refugees, widows and orphans.

Love matters to the Lord!

In Luke 13:10-16, Jesus was teaching in a synagogue. A woman there had been crippled by a spirit for 18 years. Jesus healed her. The synagogue leader was angry at Jesus for healing her on the Sabbath. How did Jesus respond? He said, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for 18 long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” The hard hearts of the leaders angered Jesus.

Zechariah reminded the people of the wrath of God they experienced when Babylon leveled their city. He scattered them like chaff in the wind. He removed them from the Promised Land.

Rather than keep useless traditions and rituals, the Lord commanded them to show mercy and compassion toward one another. In John 13:3-5, on the night Jesus was betrayed, Jesus got up from a meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.

In John 13:12, 14-15, 17, after Jesus finished washing their feet, He said to them. “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

It’s something how some will cut themselves off from others over baptismal and communion differences, but no one seems concerned about how perfectly foot washing is done.

In John 13:34-35, Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples if you love one another.”

The command to love is not a new command. In Matthew 22:38-39, Jesus condensed the demands of the Ten Commandments into two actions: love God, and love people. The new expectation is to love as He loved us. This means to humbly serve as He humbly served. Help as He helped. Speak as He spoke. Forgive as He forgave. Such expressions of love please God and attract souls to Christ.

Graced to Live Like Christ

“Then I turned and raised my eyes and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze. With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses, with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot dappled horses—strong steeds. Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, ‘What are these, my lord?’ And the angel answered and said to me, ‘These are four spirits of heaven, who go out from their station before the Lord of all the earth. The one with the black horses is going to the north country, the white are going after them, and the dappled are going toward the south country.’” Zechariah 6:1-6

As in the Book of Revelation 6:2-8, the four colored horses bring curses based on the Law of Moses against those who broke God’s Law.

As to the two mountains of brass, their height and their unalterable substance suggest strength and unchangeable righteousness. They won’t be swayed. Calvin explains the “two mountains” as the secret purpose of God from eternity that does not come into view until executed. It is hidden and kept back irresistibly until the fit time, as it were between lofty mountains. The Jamieson Fausset Brown Commentary suggests that the “two” corresponds with the “olive trees – the two Anointed Ones” of Zechariah 4:3. Just as a mother bear has two depositions, one of tender care for her cubs, and another of ruthless rage for those who seek to harm her cubs, so Christ and His Spirit care for God’s own and vanquish those who seek to harm them.

The horses of the first chariot were red, signifying war and bloodshed. In Revelation 6:2-8, the white horse comes with a bow and a conqueror. The red horse takes peace from the earth so that people kill one another. The black horse brings famine and insufferable economic inflation. The pale horse is followed by Death and Hades. Cumulatively, they bring forth sword, hunger, and death.

Many today erroneously assume that God is no longer the same towards law breaking as He was in the Old Testament. It is true that God sent His Son into the world to pay the ransom for our sins, but what if we reject or neglect conformity to His will?

Hebrews 10:26-31 declares, “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Like a mother bear, grace has two depositions, one of warmth towards those who live respective of what humanity’s sin did to God’s Son Jesus Christ, and the other of vengeance toward those who insult the Spirit of His grace.

In Romans 3:31, Paul wrote, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid! Yea, we establish the Law.” This means faith in Christ doesn’t nullify God’s Law, faith in Christ fulfills the Law. In 2 Peter 1:3, Peter wrote that God’s “divine power has granted us everything we need for life and godliness.” In 1 John 5:2, John wrote that commandment keeping is an expression of love among God’s people. “This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out His commands.” God and His Word are one and the same. We love God by loving what He says and by using His Word as the rule of practice by which we live.

The angel also calls the four horses the four winds of heaven. In Daniel 7:2, the four winds of heaven churn up the Great Sea, from which four great beasts (worldly empires) emerge. In

Revelation 7:1, four angels stand at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds until God’s servants are sealed, preventing harm. When they release the winds, disasters break out on the earth. The Hebrew word for wind (ruach) also means spirit or breath, connecting the winds to spiritual forces.

The black horses followed by white horses head toward the north country which is a reference to Babylon. The dappled horses head towards the south country, that is toward Egypt, which the Greeks will eventually conquer.

“Then the strong steeds went out, eager to go, that they might walk to and fro throughout the earth. And He said, ‘Go, walk to and fro throughout the earth.’ So they walked to and fro throughout the earth. And He called to me, and spoke to me, saying, ‘See, those who go toward the north country have given rest to My Spirit in the north country.” Zechariah 6:7-8

The strong (Hebrew) steeds, that is all four colors of horses, having completed their judgments on the first three empires of Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Graeco-Macedonia, will walk to and fro the earth until the final foe of Israel arises, namely the Roman Empire in its various forms. This empire will continue in various forms until the second advent of Christ. Hence they “walk to and fro through the earth.” The last evil empire shall fall in like fashion to the previous three. See Ezekiel 39:1-29 and Revelation 19:17-21 for more details.

“Then the Word of the Lord came to me, saying: ‘Receive the gift from the captives—from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have come from Babylon—and go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah. Take the silver and gold, make an elaborate crown, and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Then speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying: behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH! From His place He shall branch out, and He shall build the temple of the Lord. Yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord. He shall bear the glory and shall sit and rule on His throne. So, He shall be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.’” Zechariah 6:9-13

Three Jews named Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah brought gifts of silver and gold from Babylon to donate them for the rebuilding of the temple. A foreshadowing of the three Magi from the East who brought gifts to present to the newborn Messiah of Israel. Jesus Christ raised up a better temple than the people did in Zechariah’s days. Jesus makes each of His converts into a temple of the Holy Spirit where God dwells and brings forth His Word to the nations.

In Zechariah 6:10-11, the Lord tells Zechariah to bring the silver and gold to the house of Josiah and have him make of it a crown to be set on the head of Joshua. Then, Zechariah is to declare to him “the Man whose name is the Branch.” The Name of Jesus in Hebrew is Joshua. Joshua the high priest is a foreshadow of the High Priest Jesus who is to come. He is a type of the Branch, that is the Messiah. Jesus Christ is the One who makes temples out of His people for God to inhabit. To Jesus Christ belongs all the glory. Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords whose rule and kingdom shall know no end. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Joshua is a type of Christ during this season in which the Jews rebuild the temple. Thus, pointing to a singular Chosen One through whom God would save and preserve His people.

“Now the elaborate crown shall be for a memorial in the temple of the Lord for Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah. Even those from afar shall come and build the temple of the Lord. Then you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. And this shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.” Zechariah 6:14-15

The crowns are placed in the temple to honor the donors, and also as a sign that more people shall come from afar to contribute to the rebuilding of the temple. As these prophecies of Zechariah were fulfilled, the people knew that God had raised him up to give them these words, but they too must participate in the life of God. How? By diligently obeying the voice of the Lord. Zechariah modeled obedience to God’s voice among them.

What did Jesus say about obedience to God’s will? In John 7:16-18, Jesus said, “My teaching is not My own. It comes from the One who sent Me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether My teaching comes from God or whether I speak on My own. Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is a Man of truth. There is nothing false about Him.” We test tools by how they help us to accomplish our task. Jesus taught only what the Father gave Him to say. He did not speak to gain personal glory. He spoke truth. He said if we act on His Word, we will know that His words are from God.

While I was in my early twenties, the Lord moved on my heart to take His Gospel to another nation as He said to do. That nation was China. I did not have a salary or any certain place to live when I arrived there, but God supplied for my needs and for the needs of my family. During my ten years of service in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, I experienced many elements of the Lord’s Word come to pass in my life. Some days, it was like reliving the Bible. I sought to do God’s will and came to know assuredly that the teachings of Christ are from God. All Christians should aim to do God’s will by sharing the Gospel with the lost, praying for people and humbly serving God and in whatever way we can. This obedience glorifies God, and it helps both us and others.

Some references from Jamieson Fausset Brown and Matthew Henry’s Commentaries

Are We Remembering to Look Up

In Zechariah chapter five, the Lord gives us a vision of a scroll of curses entering the houses of thieves and liars. He gives us a vision of a basket with a woman named Wickedness in it. He gives us a vision of two winged women carrying Wickedness to the land of Shinar.

“Then I turned and raised my eyes and saw there a flying scroll. And he said to me, ‘What do you see?’ So I answered, ‘I see a flying scroll. Its length is 20 cubits and its width 10 cubits.’ Then he said to me, ‘This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole earth. Every thief shall be expelled, according to this side of the scroll. And every perjurer shall be expelled, according to that side of it. I will send out the curse, says the Lord of hosts. It shall enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My Name. It shall remain in the midst of his house and consume it, with its timber and stones.’” Zechariah 5:1-4

This is the second time in Zechariah’s prophecy that he raises his eyes and sees a vision. How about us? Are we remembering to look up? Three times in Psalm 42, David asks his soul, “Why are you cast down, O my soul?” In Psalm 42:5, 11, he tells his soul to “Hope in God.” Below us are shadows, above us is light. In Psalm 121:1-2, David lifted up his eyes and declared, “My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.” Praise God for people like Zechariah who keep their eyes fixed on God and received from Him wonderful words of life.

The flying scroll that Zechariah saw was inscribed with the words of the curse. The scroll is 450 square feet in size. 20 cubits is about 30 feet long by 10 cubits is about 15 feet wide. The curses of the Law are recorded in Deuteronomy 27:15-26; 28:15-68. The curses are penalties for breaking God’s Law. The fact that the scroll is “flying” means that the Law’s curses are coming quickly to the transgressors. It is unrolled so its writing can be seen. Being written on both sides, “on this and on that side,” connects it with the two tablets of the Law, and implies its comprehensiveness. One side denounces thieves. The other side denounces those who bear false witness in the Name of the Lord.

Praise God, in Revelation 14:6-7, before the Lord returns, God provides an “angel flying in midheaven, having the eternal Gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people – saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.’”

This angel gives people both the Law and the Gospel. The Law says to fear God and give Him glory. The Law demands. The Gospel speaks of what Christ did for us and for our salvation. The Gospel gives. Nevertheless, the angel says that the hour of God’s judgment has come. The Gospel is of no benefit unless the one who hears it believes it and professes faith in Christ.

“Then the angel who talked with me came out and said to me, ‘Lift your eyes now, and see what this is that goes forth.’ So I asked, ‘What is it?’ And he said, ‘This is an ephah that goes forth.’ He also said, ‘This is their resemblance throughout the earth: here is a lead disc [a talent of lead that weighs 125 pounds] lifted up, and this is a woman sitting inside the basket.’ Then he said, ‘This is Wickedness!’ And he thrust her down into the basket and threw the lead cover over its mouth.” Zechariah 5:5-8

The New King James Version Bible translates the word אֵיפָה (ephah) as basket. Technically, an ephah is a Hebrew dry measure of about a bushel, or 7.5 gallons. Before their captivity, the constant crime among God’s people was falsification of measure. They defrauded one another. So, the ephah in this context refers to a basket by which goods are transported. God turned the basket that symbolized their sin into a mode of transportation to carry it away.

Zechariah sees the woman thrust down into the ephah, and a large led disc placed over the mouth it. A woman of Wickedness symbolizes their sin. The word in the Greek Septuagint for wickedness in this text is ἀνομία which literally means without the law or lawless. In 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Paul refers to the antichrist as the “ο ανθρωπος της ανομιας” the man of lawlessness. In 2 Thessalonians 2:7, Paul wrote of the “μυστηριον ηδη ενεργειται της ανομιας” the mystery of lawlessness that is already at work. In Thessalonians 2:8, Paul wrote of the “αποκαλυφθησεται ο ανομος” the lawless one being revealed whom the Lord destroys with the brightness of His coming. So, this woman multiplies lawless behavior.

A woman is likely used in the vision because a woman is capable of giving birth to people even as sin is capable of giving birth to more sin. God is removing their wickedness, taking it captive and carrying it away. Idolatry was one of the other major failings of the tribes before they were taken captive. Amazingly, since Israel returned to the Promised Land from Babylon and Assyria, they have not returned to building temples and altars to idols. However, complete fulfilment of Zechariah’s prophecy occurs when Israel turns to Jesus Messiah for salvation and sanctification.

On a side note, it is ironic that some parents tell their children the myth of a stork bringing babies to them. This myth likely began in medieval Europe, especially Germany. It collaborated stork migration with fertility beliefs, where storks returning in spring coincided with babies born nine months after summer weddings. In the Bible, storks transport wickedness.

“Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were two women, coming with the wind in their wings. For they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven. So I said to the angel who talked with me, ‘Where are they carrying the basket?’ And he said to me, ‘To build a house for it in the land of Shinar. When it is ready, the basket will be set there on its base.’” Zechariah 5:9-11

The Jamieson Fausset Brown Commentary says that the two women symbolize the Assyrians and Babylonians. They carried away idolatry from the Promised Land in the persons of Israel and Judah. As two “anointed ones” in Zechariah 4:14 stand by the Lord as His ministers, so the two winged women execute His purpose here in removing the embodiment of “wickedness” from the Holy Land. Their “wings” express velocity. The “stork” has long and wide wings. It is a migratory bird. The “wind” hastens their flight. As the “woman” here is removed to Babylon as her own dwelling, so the woman in Revelation 17:3-5 is Babylon.

The house in the land of Shinar indicates another dispersion. Genesis 10:10 connects Shinar with Babylon which represents the capital of the God-opposed world kingdoms. It is the seat of irreligion.

Shinar is a plain in Babylon. Many Jews went there to escape from the Romans. There the ephah shall be established. Set upon a base. The building of an house for “wickedness” there implies its permanent stay. The good news in this is that it has been removed from the Promised Land.

As Governor Zerubbabel of Judah and his workers were rebuilding the temple and rebuilding Jerusalem, perhaps, they wondered, as they wiped the sweat from off their brows, “Will this temple and city revert back to wickedness?”

The answer to that question is, “Yes.” But in this prophecy, the Lord assured them that their people will not return to the worship of idols made of wood, metal and stone.

What’s more, in Zechariah 4:6-7, the Lord spoke to Zerubbabel of His grace and of His Spirit. In a little over 450 years, Messiah will be in Jerusalem. He will give His life as ransom for the sins of God’s people. After His resurrection from the dead, He will pour forth His Spirit on His leaders, and they will speak with new tongues and prophesy. Then, the Word of the Lord will go forth from Jerusalem unto the ends of the earth.

In Revelation 19:20; 20:10, 14, the Lord reveals to us the taking away of the antichrist, the false prophet, the devil and death and Hades. They will be removed never to influence God’s people again. We will forever be holy unto the Lord. Filled with God’s love and basking in His presence! Hallelujah! Amen!



References from Jamieson Fausset Brown and Matthew Henry’s Commentaries

 

God’s People Shout “Grace, Grace!”

In Isaiah 60:1-7, the Lord says, “Arise, shine! For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.” In Ephesians 5:14, the Lord says, “Awake, you who sleep. Arise from the dead and Christ will give you light.” In Zechariah 4:1-2, an angel wakes up Zechariah and asks him, “What do you see?”

“Now the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. And he said to me, ‘What do you see?’ So I said, ‘I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left.’ So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, ‘What are these, my Lord?’ Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, ‘Do you not know what these are?’ And I said, ‘No, my lord.’ So he answered and 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 of hosts. Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of grace, grace to it!’” Zechariah 4:1-7

He sees a golden lampstand with a bowl (for the lamp oil) with seven pipes leading to seven lamps sprouting from that bowl. The lampstand is called a menorah. Israel uses emblems of the menorah and the star of David to represent their nation. There is an olive tree on both sides of the menorah. The oil for the lamp is made from olives. So, there will be more than enough oil to keep the lamps burning. The angel explains that God’s work will not be accomplished by human might or power, but by the work of His Holy Spirit and His grace.

The capstone is the last stone to be installed. It is installed with shouts of grace-grace. In other words from start to finish, it was a work of God’s grace. Thus, when it is all said and done, they will know that it was God’s Spirit and His grace that made it all possible.

In the previous chapter, the Lord assured Governor Zerubbabel and his people that the ruined temple and the leveled Jerusalem would be rebuilt. He got out His measuring line and began determining the dimensions that He would give to them. The great mountain represents all that would stand in the way of God’s people from being His lights in the world. We must always approach all that we do for God in the power of the Holy Spirit, and by trust in God’s grace.

“Moreover the Word of the Lord came to me, saying: the hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple. His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the Lord, which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.” Zechariah 4:8-10

How do we approach the task of serving the Lord? We do it by dependance on His Word and Spirit. The world does not believe in God or in His power. They cannot see God. So, they despise those who say, “I’m just going to trust in the Lord.” They might consider us lazy or ignorant. But God’s Word says to us in Psalm 119:130, “The entrance of Your words gives light. It gives understanding to the simple.” He reveals to us how to approach the mission. Then, His Spirit gives us the unction to carry it out. Philippians 2:13, “It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” The Lord adds to us by His grace favorable circumstances, favorable people and miraculous provisions.

A perfect work takes time and patience. Many say they would like to have the talent that a professional has but are unwilling to invest the time and effort into developing the skills as he or she did. The Lord has revealed to us in His Word that love for Him and love for people will help us be patient with the process. 1 Corinthians 13:4 says, “Love suffers long and is kind.”

In Zechariah 4:10, the Lord speaks of seven eyes which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth. In Isaiah 11:2, the Lord speaks of seven attributes or gifts of the Holy Spirit. They are the Spirit of the Lord, wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

Revelation 3:1, speaks of Christ holding the seven spirits of God. In Revelation 4:5, there are seven lamps blazing in front of God’s throne... “These are the seven spirits of God.” In Revelation 5:6, the Lamb of God has “seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.” These passages collaborate Zechariah’s vision in which he sees the Holy Spirit symbolized as “a solid gold lampstand . . . with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it.” The seven eyes speak of the Lord’s omniscience and omnipresence. In the Bible, the number seven symbolizes perfection and completion. The Lord does a complete work.

The eyes of the Lord rejoice to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. Why? Because they see Zerubbabel faithfully rebuilding the temple according to God’s revealed plan.

“Then I answered and said to him, “What are these two olive trees—at the right of the lampstand and at its left?’ And I further answered and said to him, ‘What are these two olive branches that drip into the receptacles of the two gold pipes from which the golden oil drains?’ Then he answered me and said, ‘Do you not know what these are?’ And I said, ‘No, my lord.’ So he said, ‘These are the two anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.” Zechariah 4:11-14

The Lord revealed to Zechariah two olive trees. One on both sides of the menorah. The oil for the lamps is made from olives. So, there will be more than enough oil to keep the lamp of God burning.

The Holy Spirit and Jesus are like the two hands of God through whom He builds His kingdom on earth. The Spirit and the Word are the two olive trees that produce the oil (the anointing) for the lamp to burn brightly. God reveals Himself to the world via His prophets and servants. During the days of Zechariah, Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel were a foreshadow of Christ and the Holy Spirit. God used them to lead His people to rebuild His temple in Jerusalem after the Babylonians destroyed it. It was God’s Spirit and His Grace working through them.

In Revelation 11:1-13, a similar vision is given to John. John was given a rod to measure the temple of God. Then, the Lord speaks of two witnesses who prophesy. They are called the two olive trees and two lampstands, who testify for God. They do miracles. Then, they are killed. Thus, God embodied His Word and Spirit in two actual men, but after three and a half days, they resurrect from the dead and ascend into heaven. After this, in Revelation 11:15, loud voices in heaven proclaim, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” In Revelation 11:19, the temple of God in heaven is open and the ark of the covenant is seen. This verse symbolizes God’s presence and the imminent execution of His final judgment and the unveiling of His eternal kingdom.

Grace, grace, God’s grace from start to finish! By My Spirit says the Lord!

In what way is Zerubbabel the governor of Judah an example for us? He listened to the words of God’s prophet Zechariah. He overcame the day of small beginnings, which others despised, by happily saying, “Yes” to God’s grace and “Yes” to the Holy Spirit’s power. The two olive trees – the two Anointed Ones – Christ and the Holy Spirit supply all the oil that we need to burn brightly for God in this dark world and accomplish His mission.

God called Zerubbabel to build a temple out of materials of the earth for His Spirit to abide in. The Lord calls us to build temples out of people by sharing with them the message of Christ. When they believe in Christ, He fills them with His Spirit and abides in them. Glory to God!



References from Jamieson Fausset Brown and Matthew Henry’s Commentaries

Saved by Jesus Christ

“Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. And the Lord said to Satan, ‘The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” Zechariah 3:1-2

On the one hand, in the physical realm, Joshua was the current high priest during the days of Zechariah. On the other hand, in the spiritual realm, Joshua is a type of the Heavenly Messiah. Satan was attacking Joshua the high priest because he was a sinner yet serving as a mediator for the people of God. Satan was also opposing Joshua because he represented the soon and coming Messiah.

Jesus is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name Joshua. Joshua means the Lord saves. Unlike Joshua the high priest in Zechariah’s day, Jesus never sinned but He did bear the sins of the world.

Thus, when Jesus resolved to be a sacrifice for the sins of the world, Satan’s servants opposed Him. In Mark 14:65, they spat on Jesus. In Luke 22:63, they blindfolded Him and hit Him, while saying, “Prophesy! Who hit You!” In Mark 15:15-19, they whipped Him, placed a crown of thorns about His head, and they smote Him on the head with a reed, and spit upon Him. In Mark 15:29–32, passersby hurled insults at Him. The chief priests and the teachers of the Law mocked Him, saying: "He saved others, but He can’t save Himself! Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Even those crucified with Jesus insulted Him. Satan and his servants truly opposed Christ for becoming a Mediator for us.

The fact that Jesus bore the sins of the world upon Himself means that whosoever believes and professes Jesus Christ as his or her Lord and Savior is forgiven all their sins by God. And apart from sin in our lives, Satan has no more claims against us. His claims are null and void.

In his vision, Zechariah heard the Lord say to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” Satan ridiculed the high priest of Israel and his people because they assumed they could rebuild the temple and rebuild Jerusalem. But finally, the Lord had enough of Satan’s mocking and rebuked him. The Lord told Satan that He had chosen Jerusalem. He plucked Jerusalem out of the fires of Babylonian captivity.

The name Satan means adversary or opponent. In Luke 22:31-32, Satan wanted to destroy Simon Peter, to sift him like wheat, but Jesus prayed for Peter that Peter’s faith would not fail.

In Job 1:11, Satan said to God in regards to Job, “Stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” In Job 1:12, the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power. Only do not lay a hand on his person.” The Lord did not hurt Job, the devil did. Job 1:22 says, “In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.” The devil falsely accused Job. He said that Job would deny God if afflicted, but Job did not deny God. God’s grace was sufficient to keep Job’s faith in Him strong.

In Luke 22:32, Jesus told Peter, “When you have returned to Me, strengthen your brothers.” That’s what Job did. In Job 42:8-10, after Job’s trial ended, he strengthened his friends by praying for them.

Sometimes God allows His servants to embody the sufferings of Christ so that His love for sinners is made known. In Galatians 6:17, Paul wrote, “From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” In 2 Corinthians 4:10-11, Paul wrote that “we are always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” Romans 5:8 says, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

So what does Satan do to us while we are suffering for the sake of sinners who do not deserve our love? He opposes us. He mocks us. He seeks to hurt us in every way.

What does the Lord do with Satan when he attacks? He rebukes him.

In Mark 1:21-25, when a demon manifested itself through a man in a synagogue of Capernaum, what did Jesus do? “Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be quiet, and come out of him!’” In Luke 4:39, when Peter’s mother-in-law was sick with fever, what did Jesus do? “He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.” In Matthew 17:18, Jesus rebuked a demon from tormenting a boy. In Matthew 4:10, Jesus told Satan to get away from Him. Jesus Christ has the authority to command Satan to leave, and he must obey.

In Jude 1:9, “Michael the archangel said to Satan, ‘The Lord rebuke you.’” Michael’s action towards Satan is an example for us. The power to rebuke Satan must come from the Lord. We don’t rebuke the devil in our name or in our power. We don’t use the Name of Jesus like some kind of incantation or formula. Acts 19:13-16 tells the story of some itinerant Jewish exorcists. They took it upon themselves to call the Name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” The evil spirit answered and said to them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” Then the evil spirit in the man “prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”

In Haggai 2:23, the Lord told Governor Zerubbabel that he was His chosen signet ring. Kings sign edicts, grants, and commissions, with signet-rings. God is the one who authorizes someone to use His Name. The power to rebuke Satan is from God. In Matthew 28:18-20, before Jesus ascended to heaven, He told His disciples, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore...” Jesus authorized them to do His work on earth. He promised to be with them always. Romans 8:11 says, “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Unclean spirits are driven out by the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ Name.

“Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and was standing before the Angel. Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, ‘Take away the filthy garments from him.’ And to him He said, ‘See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.’ And I said, ‘Let them put a clean turban on his head.’ So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the Lord stood by. Then the Angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: if you will walk in My ways, and if you will keep My command, then you shall also judge My house, and likewise have charge of My courts. I will give you places to walk among these who stand here.’” Zechariah 3:3-7

Satan was pointing to Joshua’s filthy clothes and declaring him unfit to serve the Lord. The filthy garments represent the sins of God’s people. The Lord took away Joshua’s filthy garments and his iniquities and replaced them with a rich robe and a clean turban. The robe symbolizes the merits of Christ placed upon him. The clean turban symbolizes his new role in Christ. He is not only forgiven of his sins he is now a priest of God. He has been transformed by the gracious work of Christ. His mind is now on heavenly things, such as praising and glorifying God.

Exodus 28:36-38 explains that the turban was part of the High Priest’s garments. The turban had a gold plate on the front of it inscribed with the words Holiness to the Lord. Those who place their sins under the blood of Christ, receive His Holy Spirit. Then, their body is a temple of the Holy Spirit according to 1 Corinthians 6:19.

“Hear, O Joshua, the high priest, you and your companions who sit before you, for they are a wondrous sign. For behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the Branch. For behold, the stone that I have laid before Joshua: upon the stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave its inscription, says the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. In that day, says the Lord of hosts, everyone will invite his neighbor under his vine and under his fig tree.” Zechariah 3:8-10

The Lord promised a wonderful sign to high priest Joshua and his fellow priests. He promised that He would send Messiah. Messiah is God’s Servant the Branch. God in flesh appearing! The seven eyes represent the seven spirits of God mentioned in Isaiah 11:1-2 and in Revelation 1:4. Jesus Christ is the One who removes the sin of God’s people in one day. He brings us into fellowship with God and with others in Christ. We sit with one another under the shade of Christ (the Vine) and under His fig tree. He refreshes us with rest for our souls.

Nazareth is the name of the town where Jesus grew up. Netzer ( נצר ) means a “sprout” or “branch.” When people called Jesus the Nazarene, the “ee” ending added to a word in Hebrew means “my.” So, it sounded as if they were calling Him, “Jesus My Branch.” Jesus is the Branch referred to in Zechariah’s prophecy. Isaiah 11:1 also refers to Messiah as the Branch.

The Lord speaks of a stone with an inscription. In Daniel 2:34, the prophet Daniel had a vision from God of “a stone cut out without hands.” This stone represents God’s eternal kingdom that will replace earthly empires and fill the whole world.

In Matthew 21:42, Jesus asked those who questioned His authority, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.’” Jesus is the chief cornerstone. He is Messiah. In Acts 4:11, Peter preached of Jesus, saying, “This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.” In Ephesians 2:20, Paul calls Jesus Christ the chief cornerstone.”

Recently, I have been reflecting on one of the faulty foundations I built on during my teen years. In the late 70’s, I foolishly became a fan of the rock band Kiss. After I was born again, I destroyed those albums. The Lord helped me to discern how defiling it was. Gene and Paul, being Jews, embodied all that was wrong with Israel before the city of Jerusalem fell before Babylon. The Jews back then did exactly the opposite of what God expected of them. They were to be holy to the Lord, but they behaved like demons. They became perverse idols unto themselves.

“You don’t know what you don’t know.” Have you heard that statement before? The devil is a master hunter. Hunters know how to use lures that look delicious to the animals that they hunt. The devil knows that our flesh is weak. Like a drug trafficker, his goal is to get people addicted to a destructive coping mechanism which is rooted in gratifying the flesh. He fattens his prey for the kill. Over indulgence in any addictive substance is not a luxury, it’s a bondage that destroys.

In Galatians 5:23-24, self-control is a gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us “to crucify the flesh with its passions and desires.” In 1 Corinthians 9:27, Paul speaks of beating his body into submission, meaning that he rigorously disciplines his physical desires and appetites, like a boxer training intensely, to ensure his own spiritual life remains fit for God’s service.

In Matthew 26:41, Jesus warned His disciples, saying, “The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” In Hebrews 12:15-17, the writer wrote, “Look carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God... Lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.”

Victory over sin, the flesh and the devil is the most consequential battle to win. In Matthew 13:44-45, Jesus compared the kingdom of heaven to a treasure and to a pearl of great price. Being with God in His Kingdom is more valuable than any earthly treasure. And what does the require Lord for it? He requires from us humility and profession that Christ alone is fit to be our Lord and Savior.

Keep Looking Up

“Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand. So I said, ‘Where are you going?’ And he said to me, ‘To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.’ And there was the angel who talked with me, going out. And another angel was coming out to meet him, who said to him, ‘Run, speak to this young man, saying: Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it.’ For I, says the Lord, will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.” Zechariah 2:1-5

Zechariah is looking up. He said, “I raised my eyes and looked...” In Luke 21:28, Jesus said, “Now when these things [tribulations] begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” The fact that one evil empire was rising up and falling after another was a sign that the time of the Lord’s return was near. Babylon had fallen to the Persians, and next, the Greeks would conquer them, and after that, the Romans.

What is the Man in Zechariah’s vision doing? He is measuring Jerusalem. The Man tells an angel to run an explanation to Zechariah. Jerusalem, which is not yet rebuilt, shall be repopulated with people and livestock (food). The Lord says that He will be a wall of fire around Jerusalem and the glory in her midst.

In Ezekiel 40:2-3, God took Ezekiel by way of a vision to the land of Israel. While on a mountain outside of Jerusalem, Ezekiel saw a Man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze. He had a line of flax and a measuring rod in his hand, and he stood in the gateway. The Man proceeded to measure the dimensions of a new temple that was there. The description of this Man relates to the appearance of Christ as John sees Him in Revelation 1:13-15.

At the time of Ezekiel’s and Zechariah’s visions, Jerusalem was still lying in ruins. The temple was not yet rebuilt. Ezekiel was still a captive in Babylon at the time of his vision. Zechariah was back in the vicinity of where Jerusalem once stood but it needed rebuilt. God gave these prophets visions of what He was going to do. He was going to ensure that the temple and the city was rebuilt. He was doing the preparatory measurements and He would place His plans in the heads of the rebuilders to do His work.

In Revelation 11:1-13, the Apostle John was given a reed like a measuring rod and told by an angel to measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. He is told that the outer court is for the Gentiles. They, the Gentiles, will tread the holy city underfoot for three and a half years. At that time, Christ will empower His two witnesses to prophesy for three and a half years. They have power from God to shut heaven so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy. They have power over waters to turn them to blood. They have power to strike the earth with all plagues as often as they desire. When they finish their testimony, the beast (the antichrist) kills them and leaves their bodies in the street. People from all over the earth see their dead bodies and rejoice, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented them. However, three-and-a-half days later, they resurrect from the dead. They ascend to heaven in a cloud as the world watches. A great earthquake occurs killing 7,000 people in that city. The survivors are terrified and give glory to the God of heaven.

This vision assured John and it assures us who read Bible prophecy and believe it that God will prevail over all the works of the evil one. Just as God did in the days of Ezekiel and Zechariah, so will He do in the last days before He returns. Thus, we keep our eyes looking up. As David asks his soul in Psalm 42:5, 11; 43:5, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.”

In Revelation 21:15-17, the Lord reveals to John the New Jerusalem. He had an angel measure while John watched him. “He who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. The city is laid out as a square.” “He measured the city with the reed: 12,000 furlongs (1,500 miles). Its length, breadth, and height are equal.” The wall around it is 144 cubits (216 feet) high. The Lord placed this revelation towards the end of the Bible to assure us that heaven does have a holy city where God has His throne. Earthly Jerusalem is nowhere near as beautiful and as glorious as the Heavenly One.

Hebrews 12:22 speaks of the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, where there are innumerable company of angels. In 2 Peter 3:13, Peter wrote of “a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” There will be a new heaven, new earth and new Jerusalem after the Lord returns. In Luke 23:43, Jesus told the thief next to Him on the cross, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Something better than the original garden of Eden will exist.

“Up, up! Flee from the land of the north, says the Lord. For I have spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven, says the Lord. Up, Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon. For thus says the Lord of hosts: he sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you. For he who touches you touches the apple of His eye. For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me.” Zechariah 2:6-9

Flee from Babylon. The time has come to return to the Promised Land. The people of God had been scattered to the four “ends” of the world but now it was time to come back to Israel. The Lord affirmed to His people that when pagan nations attacked them, they were touching the apple of His eye. Those who despoiled them would be despoiled by them. This prophecy was fulfilled in measure by the Jews who had already returned to the land of Isreal. More were yet to return. God assured Zechariah and His people that they were in the center of His will.

We may not be captives of some cruel empire that makes slaves out of the nations that they conquer, but perhaps, we have become captivated by some of the same ungodly tendencies of the paganistic leaders and followers around us. In 2 Corinthians 6:16-18, Paul wrote, “What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.’”

In John 15:18-19, Jesus said to His disciples, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” In John 17:15-16, Jesus prayed to the Father for His disciples saying, “My prayer is not that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.” In Philippians 3:20, Paul wrote, “Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” This world is passing away, but the Lord’s kingdom is forever. Thus, we should prioritize our allegiance to God’s kingdom first.

“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst, says the Lord. Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. And the Lord will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land and will again choose Jerusalem. Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!” Zechariah 2:10-13

Throughout the Scriptures and especially in Psalms, the Lord urges us to sing unto Him, and to rejoice in Him. He is our Creator and Sustainer! Psalms 98:1 says, “O sing unto the Lord a new song; for He has done marvelous things. His right hand, and His holy arm, has gotten Him the victory.”

The best thing we can do for our spiritual, mental and physical health is to love God and sing His praises. Proverbs 16:24 says, “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 17:22 says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” 3 John 1:2 indicates that there is a connection between a prosperous soul and a healthy body, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”

In Acts 16:25-34, when Paul and Silas were unjustly beaten and imprisoned for testifying for Jesus, they did not let the devil steal their joy. No, they sang praise to God and God broke them out of the jail and the Lord saved some souls in the process. Nehemiah 8:10 says, “Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

During these troubling times, may the Lord grant each of us His grace to keep looking up, keep anticipating an eternity with Jesus Christ, and keep singing the high praises of God. Amen!

Receiving and Sharing Divine Revelations

“In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the Word of the Lord came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, ‘The Lord has been very angry with your fathers. Therefore say to them, thus says the Lord of hosts: return to Me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets preached, saying, thus says the Lord of hosts: turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds. But they did not hear nor heed Me, says the Lord. Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? Yet surely My Words and My Statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? So they returned and said: ‘Just as the Lord of hosts determined to do to us, according to our ways and according to our deeds, so He has dealt with us.’” Zechariah 1:1-6

Zechariah receives a Word from God just two months after his fellow prophet Haggai received one. Ezra 5:1 speaks of “Haggai and Zechariah” prophesying “to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the Name of the God of Israel, who was over them.” Ezra 6:14 says that “the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah...” The Jews rebuilt the temple of the Lord, and did so in accordance with God’s commandments, and in accordance with the commands of the kings of Persia. God prospered them as they listened and followed the directions that had been given to them.

In Matthew 23:29-36, Jesus blamed the likes of religious hypocrites on the bloodshed of righteous people from the time of Abel until the time of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah.

Zechariah was slain between the temple and the altar. Abel was the first martyr mentioned in the Old Testament. 1 John 3:12 says that Cain murdered his brother because his (Cain’s) works were evil and his brother’s (Abel’s) righteous. Zachariah is the next to last prophet who wrote a book of the Old Testament. He was likely the most well-known martyr from that era. He was slain between the temple and altar. He was likely serving God when a fellow priest murdered him.

Matthew 27:18 says that Pilate “knew that they (the Pharisees) had handed Him (Jesus) over because of envy.”

Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. John 12:6 says that Judas was a thief who stole from the ministry’s money box.

Religious imposters, wolves in sheep’s clothing, murder God’s prophets to prevent them from exposing their true identity.

Zechariah called the Jews to return to the Lord. He urged them not to be like their fathers who did not listen to the Lord. He reminded them how God faithfully fulfilled past prophecies. Past prophecies about Babylonian captivity came to pass. Jeremiah prophesied that the Jews would be in captivity for 70 years before returning to the Promised Land. These prophecies spoke by true prophets of God did happen.

“On the 24th day of the 11th month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the Word of the Lord came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet: I saw by night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow. And behind him were horses: red, sorrel, and white. Then I said, ‘My Lord, what are these?’ So the angel who talked with me said to me, ‘I will show you what they are.’ And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, ‘These are the ones whom the Lord has sent to walk to and fro throughout the earth. So they answered the Angel of the Lord, who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, ‘We have walked to and fro throughout the earth, and behold, all the earth is resting quietly.’” Zechariah 1:7-11

The Lord gave Zechariah a vision of myrtle-trees in a low place... a hollow. He sees a man on a red horse with horses of various colors behind him. Matthew Henry’s Commentary declares the man on the red horse to be the preincarnate Messiah, and that the other horses represent angelic horsemen who observe what is happening on the earth and report back to Him. They call Him the messenger of the Lord. Angel is the Hebrew word for messenger. The report from the other horses is that the earth is resting quietly. The purpose of the vision is to say to the Jews that they need not fear harm at this time.

The Lord does hide His identity from people at times. In this vision, He is among myrtle trees in the night. Isaiah 45:15 says, “Truly You are God, who hide Yourself, O God of Israel, the Savior!” In Luke 24:13-16, Jesus walked with two disciples who knew Him, but His identity was hidden from them. Luke 24:16 says, “Their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.” In John 20:14-16, Mary Magdalene did not recognize Jesus after His resurrection. She supposed Him to be a gardener. After Jesus addressed her directly by name, she knew it was Him. It was likely the preincarnate Christ who appeared to Joshua in Joshua 5:13-14. He appeared to Joshua as the Commander of the army of the Lord. Joshua fell on his face and worshipped Him and He accepted worship from Joshua. In these incidents, the Lord initially hid His identity from people.

In Zechariah 1:9, Zechariah addressed the man on the red horse as Lord. He learned that the other horses patrolled the world for God. 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” The angels reported back to Christ, saying, “The earth sits still and is at rest.”

“Then the Angel of the Lord answered and said, ‘O Lord of hosts, how long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You were angry these 70 years?’ And the Lord answered the angel who talked to me, with good and comforting words.” Zechariah 1:12-13

Here, the Angel or Messenger of the Lord intercedes for the capital city of Judah (Jerusalem) and its surrounding cities. He prays, “How long will You not have mercy?” In Revelation 6:9-10, those who have been slain for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held also cry out. They ask the Lord, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth.” In Zechariah 1:13, the Lord spoke good and comforting words to Zechariah. In Revelation 6:11, the Lord provided “a white robe” to the martyrs and told them “to rest a little while longer.”

“So the angel who spoke with me said to me, ‘Proclaim, saying, thus says the Lord of hosts: I am zealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with great zeal. I am exceedingly angry with the nations at ease. For I was a little angry, and they helped—but with evil intent. Therefore thus says the Lord: I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy. My house shall be built in it, says the Lord of hosts, and a surveyor’s line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.’” Zechariah 1:14-16

As a husband is jealous for his wife when she is wronged by others, so the Lord is jealous for Judah. She has been horribly treated by the pagans. The Lord assures Zechariah that He is zealous for Jerusalem. He is angry with the nations who are at ease and have not repented of what they did to His people. His mercy on Jerusalem will be His way of dealing with her misbehaving neighbors. God’s house which is not yet rebuilt shall be rebuilt. God has His surveyor’s line out and is ready to get the work started. When God wants something done, it gets done.

“Again proclaim, saying, thus says the Lord of hosts: My cities shall again spread out through prosperity. The Lord will again comfort Zion and will again choose Jerusalem.” Zechariah 1:17

God’s house will be rebuilt and the cities of Judah will also be rebuilt. They will have a newly built place of worship as well as newly built homes to dwell in. They shall be comforted. As Jesus said in Matthew 5:4, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

“Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were four horns. And I said to the angel who talked with me, ‘What are these?’ So he answered me, ‘These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.’” Zechariah 1:18-19

To shepherds horned animals were the strongest of the herd. So in this prophecy as well as in Revelation 17:3, 12, the horns represent the ruling powers of the world. “The number four in Zechariah’s time referred to the four cardinal points of the horizon. The four horns symbolize four world empires: Babylon, Persia (both already risen), plus, the empires of Greece and Rome (still yet to come). These empires scatter the Jews throughout their lands.

“Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. And I said, ‘What are these coming to do?’ So he said, ‘These are the horns that scattered Judah, so that no one could lift up his head; but the craftsmen are coming to terrify them, to cast out the horns of the nations that lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.’” Zechariah 1:20-21

The word for craftsmen in Hebrew is חָרָשׁ (Charash) which can be translated craftsman, artisan, engraver, or a fabricator of any material. These craftsmen or smiths are God’s instruments, who with their mallets and hammers break these hard and strong horns which would overthrow God’s work. They may represent technological breakthroughs or skilled leaders. It is interesting that The Maccabees, led by Judas Maccabeus, recaptured the Temple from the Greeks and cleansed it. The named Maccabeus is derived from the Hebrew word “hammer.” It was really a miracle how God placed in the Maccabee family a zeal for God’s house to restore it to holiness after Antiochus Epiphanes had it defiled.

Both the Prophecy of Zechariah and the Book of Revelation were written during seasons when powerful empires were ruling the world. The meaning of these books are revealed to those who know the Lord and study them, but nearly impossible for outsiders to understand. In Matthew 11:25, Jesus prayed, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.” God graciously reveals the meaning of these prophecies to people who humble themselves before Him.

We should ask the Lord to reveal the meaning and relevance of these prophecies for us today. The names of empires change, and so does technology, but when it is all said and done, the battle is the same. Sin, Satan and the world seek to sabotage faith in God. We need to be a people of the Bible to overcome the deceptions. We need a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the revealer of truth.

Revelation 1:3 says, “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.” Revelation 22:6-7 says, “These words are faithful and true. The Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

The Lord prospers us as we act on His prophetic words. In 1 Timothy 1:18, Paul urged Timothy to wage war by the prophecies previously made. The most vital battle to win is to be forever with the Lord. Revelations from Jesus Christ help us to win this battle.

Filled with the Glory of the Lord

“In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the Word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying...” Haggai 1:1

“The Word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet.” The original Hebrew for the phrase “came by Haggai” is “in the hand of Haggai.” God is the speaker. Haggai is His helping hand to people.

Haggai received this prophetic message during the second year of Darius. This would have been Darius Hystaspes. He is the third of the Persian kings. Babylon was overthrown by Persia. Darius was a common title for Persian kings, even as Pharaoh and Caesar were common titles for the rulers of Egypt and Rome, respectively. Darius is from the root word Darh which means “to preserve.” The Persians viewed their king as a preserver.

Zerubbabel means “one born in Babylon.” Previously, King Cyrus of Persia appointed him to govern the land of Judah. The people of God are back in the Promised Land.

Joshua is the high priest. Joshua the son of Nun brought Israel into the Promised Land when they came out of Egypt. Joshua the son of Jehozadak served as their high priest when they came out of Babylonian captivity back to the Promised Land. And Jesus (Joshua in Hebrew) the Son of God brings His followers out of the captivity of sin into the Promised Land of heaven.

According to Ezra 3:10, when the Jews came out of captivity, they set up an altar for sacrifice, and within a year laid the foundations of a temple. But then, their enemies convinced the Persian court to stop their work. So, they stopped. By the time that court ruling was reversed, they had shifted their focus to building their own houses. Things are not going well for them. The prophetic message that the Lord gives to Haggai explains why things are not going well.

“Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, the time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built.’ Then the Word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, ‘Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins? Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: consider your ways! You have sown much and bring in little. You eat, but do not have enough. You drink, but you are not filled with drink. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.” Haggai 1:2-6

No matter what they did, the return on investment was poor. They were neglecting their relationship with God. God was determined to get them back on track and doing well.

In Ecclesiastes 1:8, Solomon wrote, “The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.” In Ecclesiastes 2:1-11, he wrote of all the pleasures that he enjoyed, but concluded that it was emptiness, a grasping after wind and unprofitable. In Ecclesiastes 5:10, he wrote, “He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver nor he who loves abundance with increase. This also is emptiness.” In Ecclesiastes 6:7, he wrote, “All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the soul is not satisfied.” The soul needs spiritual food. Spiritual food comes to us by way of fellowship with God via worship, Bible reading, prayer and service of Him.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: consider your ways! Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified, says the Lord. You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why, says the Lord of hosts? Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.” Haggai 1:7-11

Why don’t our politicians talk about how the neglect of God harms the environment? God told the people that the heavens withheld dew and the earth its fruit because they no longer cared about maintaining a place of worship unto Him in their community. Grain, wine, oil, other crops, livestock and people were suffering due to their lack of regard for their Creator and Sustainer.

“Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the presence of the Lord. Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, spoke the Lord’s message to the people, saying, ‘I am with you, says the Lord.’ So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, on the 24th day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius.” Haggai 1:8-15

In Haggai’s day, somebody said something about the real reason for their nation’s problems. Haggai did! And guess what? People actually listened and obeyed the Word of the Lord. They returned to honoring God and God honored them for it. He told them, “I am with you.” God stirred their hearts to get to work. Haggai spoke to them on the first day of the month, and by the 24th day of that same month, they were working.

“In the seventh month, on the 21st day of the month, the Word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying: ‘Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying: who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now in comparison with it? Is this not in your eyes as nothing? Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel, says the Lord. And be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. And be strong, all you people of the land, says the Lord, and work. For I am with you, says the Lord of hosts. According to the Word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you. Do not fear!” Haggai 2:1-5

Nearly a month later after the work on God’s house began, the Lord gave another word to Haggai to give to the governor, the high priest and to the people. He tells them to be strong and work. Don’t let fear of failure divert them from their goal. His Spirit is working among them.

“For thus says the Lord of hosts: once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory, says the Lord of hosts. The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, says the Lord of hosts. The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, says the Lord of hosts.” Haggai 2:6-9

The writer of Hebrews alludes to this prophecy in Hebrews 12:27. In Hebrews 12:2, he urges his readers to look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith. The shaking of the heavens and earth creates a desire among all nations for Messiah to come. Jesus is the answer for the world today. He did come and He did fill His temple with glory. The glory of the latter temple is greater than the glory of the former. Why? Because Jesus Christ is glorious. Jesus fills people with His Spirit. One of the fruits of the Spirit is peace.

Jesus Christ is also coming again. When He returns, wars and death will be no more. Hebrews 12:22 says that Jesus is bringing us “to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels.” Hebrews 12:28 says, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”

“On the 24th day of the 9th month, in the second year of Darius, the Word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: now, ask the priests concerning the law, saying, if one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?’ Then the priests answered and said, ‘No.’ And Haggai said, ‘If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?’ So the priests answered and said, ‘It shall be unclean.’ Then Haggai answered and said, ‘So is this people, and so is this nation before Me, says the Lord, and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.’” Haggai 2:10-14

Three months after the restart of the temple rebuild, the Word of the Lord came to Haggai again. He makes the point that is not what the offering touches that makes it unholy, but the person who offers it. Their hearts needed to be purified by God.

Jesus made a similar point in Mark 7:1-15. Pharisees had complained to Jesus that His disciples did not wash their hands according to the required rituals. In Mark 7:14-15, Jesus called the multitude to Himself and said to them, “There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him, but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.” God the Father cleanses our hearts via faith in His Son. He feeds our minds with clean thoughts via His Holy Spirit. This purification process points to a personal relationship with God.

“And now, carefully consider from this day forward: from before stone was laid upon stone in the temple of the Lord—since those days, when one came to a heap of 20 ephahs, there were but 10. When one came to the wine vat to draw out 50 baths from the press, there were but 20. I struck you with blight and mildew and hail in all the labors of your hands. Yet you did not turn to Me, says the Lord. Consider now from this day forward, from the 24th day of the 9th month, from the day that the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid—consider it: is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you.” Haggai 2:15-19

The Lord calls them to remember this because from this day forward the environment is going to improve. There shall be seed in the barn and yields from vines and trees. Why? Because they obeyed the Lord and finished rebuilding His house. He was going to bless their environment.

“And again the Word of the Lord came to Haggai on the 24th day of the month, saying, ‘Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying: ‘I will shake heaven and earth. I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms. I will overthrow the chariots and those who ride in them. The horses and their riders shall come down, everyone by the sword of his brother. In that day, says the Lord of hosts, I will take you, Zerubbabel My servant, the son of Shealtiel, says the Lord, and will make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you, says the Lord of hosts.’” Haggai 2:20-23

The Lord gave Haggai a word for Judah’s governor. Zerubbabel had led the people to obey the Lord. Thus, God was going to deal with his enemies. He called Zerubbabel His servant. To be called God’s servant is an honorary title. Paul introduced himself to his readers as a servant of Christ in 1 Corinthians 4:1. God called Moses and David His servants.

God made Zerubbabel a chosen signet ring. Kings sign edicts, grants, and commissions, with signet-rings. God was authorizing and accomplishing His work on earth through Zerubbabel. What an honor! He obeyed God with little and God gave him much. When God chooses to work through a person, great things happen.

In Matthew 28:18-20, before Jesus ascended to heaven, He told His disciples, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Jesus authorized them to do His work on earth. He promised to be with them always. Thus, great things happened!

In Haggai 2:9, the Lord of hosts says, “The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former, and in this place I will give peace.” Jesus Christ fulfilled this prophecy and is continuing to fulfill it in all who receive and serve Him. Praise the Lord.


[1] Geneva Bible Notes

Hidden With Christ

“The Word of the Lord which came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.” Zephaniah 1:1

Zephaniah’s name means “Hidden by God.” The Lord speaks to him of being hidden from His wrath against sin during the day of disaster. Zephaniah was the great-great grandson of King Hezekiah, and a descendant of King David. The Messiah would spring forth from his tribe.

Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of King Josiah which places him in the same period as Jeremiah, Nahum and Habakkuk. Zephaniah’s warnings about idolatry and corruption likely influenced Josiah’s major religious reforms. 

“I will utterly consume everything from the face of the land, says the Lord. I will consume man and beast. I will consume the birds of the heavens, the fish of the sea, and the stumbling blocks along with the wicked. I will cut off man from the face of the land, says the Lord.” Zephaniah 1:2-3

Zephaniah’s message is similar to Jonah’s. In Jonah 3:4, Jonah preached, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” Zephaniah preaches that God will remove them from the land.

“I will stretch out My hand against Judah, and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I will cut off every trace of Baal from this place, the names of the idolatrous priests with the pagan priests, those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops, those who worship and swear oaths by the Lord, but who also swear by Milcom, those who have turned back from following the Lord, and have not sought the Lord, nor inquired of Him.” Zephaniah 1:4-5

The Lord’s controversy was with idolatry. He promised to cut off every trace of Baal along with the priests and people who served him. They should have followed, sought and prayed to the Lord. God’s first commandment is to love Him. They stopped loving God. They gave the glory which God was due to idols.

“Be silent in the presence of the Lord God for the day of the Lord is at hand for the Lord has prepared a sacrifice. He has invited His guests. And it shall be, in the day of the Lord’s sacrifice, that I will punish the princes and the king’s children, and all such as are clothed with foreign apparel. In the same day I will punish all those who leap over the threshold, who fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit. And there shall be on that day, says the Lord, the sound of a mournful cry from the fish gate, a wailing from the second quarter, and a loud crashing from the hills.” Zephaniah 1:7-10

Be silent in the presence of the Lord God! How many of us practice being silent before the Lord? Do we give to Him the opportunity to speak to us by His Spirit? It has been said that God gave us two ears and one mouth. We should listen more than we speak.

The Lord told Zephaniah, “I will punish the princes and the king’s children, and all such as are clothed with foreign apparel.” This prophecy did not come to pass during the days of Josiah, but they did come to pass for his son King Zedekiah. The Babylonians captured Zedekiah and his sons. They killed his princely sons, and afterwards removed his eyes. These men had enjoyed exotic apparel. Their servants invaded people’s homes. They leapt for joy when they could bring to the princes (their masters) spoils which they had obtained by violence and deception. Their joy would soon turn to weeping and wailing.

“Wail, you inhabitants of Maktesh! For all the merchant people are cut down. All those who handle money are cut off. And it shall come to pass at that time that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and punish the men who are settled in complacency, who say in their heart, ‘The Lord will not do good, nor will He do evil.’ Therefore their goods shall become booty, and their houses a desolation. They shall build houses, but not inhabit them. They shall plant vineyards, but not drink their wine.” Zephaniah 1:11-13

The Lord was about to beam a bright light on Jerusalem and expose scammers. He was about to locate and punish complacent people who say, “The Lord will not do good, nor will He do evil.” They neglected the Lord to focus on the acquisition of worldly wealth which they would lose.

Many years later, in John 2:15, Jesus made a whip with cords and drove out the merchants from the temple in Jerusalem. He poured out their money and overturned their tables. In John 2:16, Jesus said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!”

In Matthew 6:19-20, Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

“The great day of the Lord is near. It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter. There the mighty men shall cry out. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet and alarm against the fortified cities and against the high towers. I will bring distress upon men, and they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord. Their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like refuse. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath, but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy, for He will make speedy riddance of all those who dwell in the land.” Zephaniah 1:14-18

When the Lord speaks of climate change, it is no scam. Nothing damages the climate more than disobedience to God. In Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28, God connected a healthy earth to healthy obedience to His commands, and a sick earth to disobedience to His commands.

“Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O undesirable nation, before the decree is issued, or the day passes like chaff, before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you! Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger.” Zephaniah 2:1-3

Zephaniah urged his listeners to jointly seek the Lord. Be meek and seek! Seek the Lord, righteousness and humility! Uphold justice!

King Josiah responded to God’s Word. What happened? In 2 Kings 22:18-20, the prophetess Huldah said that because Josiah humbled himself before the Lord, his eyes would not see the calamities. In 2 Kings 23:3-20, Josiah proceeded to purge Judah of Baal worship. He executed the priests who promoted it. Zephaniah’s prophecy did not come to pass in his days.

“For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon desolate. They shall drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron shall be uprooted. Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, the nation of the Cherethites! The Word of the Lord is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines: ‘I will destroy you so there shall be no inhabitant. The seacoast shall be pastures with shelters for shepherds and folds for flocks. The coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah. They shall feed their flocks there. In the houses of Ashkelon, they shall lie down at evening. For the Lord, their God will intervene for them and return their captives.’” Zephaniah 2:4-7

The Lord speaks of the desolation of Judah’s neighbors – the Philistines. The Babylonians easily defeated them. They would also defeat and take captive the people of Judah. The Lord did give Judah some good news. When they returned from captivity, some lands which the Philistines took from them would be restored to the shepherds of Judah for their flocks.

“I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the insults of the people of Ammon, with which they have reproached My people, and made arrogant threats against their borders. Therefore, as I live, says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, surely Moab shall be like Sodom, and the people of Ammon like Gomorrah—overrun with weeds and salt pits and a perpetual desolation. The residue of My people shall plunder them, and the remnant of My people shall possess them. This they shall have for their pride because they have reproached and made arrogant threats against the people of the Lord of hosts. The Lord will be awesome to them, for He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth. People shall worship Him, each one from his place, indeed all the shores of the nations.” Zephaniah 2:8-11

The nations of Moab and Ammon joined with Babylon against Judah. They took advantage of Judah when they were weak and vulnerable. Like Sodom and Gomorrah, Moab and Ammon would cease to exist. Pride and mistreatment of God and His people sealed their doom. The day is coming in which God will reduce all idols to nothing. Then, all nations shall worship God.

“You Ethiopians also, you shall be slain by My sword. And He will stretch out His hand against the north, destroy Assyria, and make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as the wilderness. The herds shall lie down in her midst, every beast of the nation. Both the pelican and the bittern shall lodge on the capitals of her pillars. Their voice shall sing in the windows. Desolation shall be at the threshold; for He will lay bare the cedar work.” Zephaniah 2:12-14

This prophecy was fulfilled when the Ethiopians joined with Egypt against Babylon. Babylon defeated them both. Babylon also conquered Assyria.

“This is the rejoicing city that dwelt securely, that said in her heart, ‘I am it, and there is none besides me.’ How has she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down! Everyone who passes by her shall hiss and shake his fist.” Zephaniah 2:15

They rejoiced because they believed that they were the superpower of the world. Ninevah was the capital of Assyria. This prophecy seemed improbable. Ninevah was surrounded by seven and a half miles of walls. The wall system consisted of a stone retaining wall about 20 feet high surmounted by a mudbrick wall about 33 feet high and 49 feet thick. Ninevah was destroyed.

“Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, to the oppressing city! She has not obeyed His voice. She has not received correction. She has not trusted in the Lord. She has not drawn near to her God. Her princes in her midst are roaring lions. Her judges are evening wolves that leave not a bone till morning. Her prophets are insolent, treacherous people. Her priests have polluted the sanctuary. They have done violence to the Law. The Lord is righteous in her midst He will do no unrighteousness. Every morning, He brings His justice to light. He never fails, but the unjust knows no shame.” Zephaniah 3:1-5

The rebellious, polluted and oppressive city is Jerusalem. Her leaders deemed obedience to God unnecessary. They refused to draw near to God. Their princes, judges, prophets and priests were hostile to Him. God did not change His standard for them. He kept calling them to repent.

“I have cut off nations, their fortresses are devastated. I have made their streets desolate with none passing by. Their cities are destroyed. There is no one, no inhabitant. I said surely you will fear Me. You will receive instruction— so that her dwelling would not be cut off, despite everything for which I punished her. But they rose early and corrupted all their deeds.” Zephaniah 3:6-7

The Lord’s prophetic words of destruction for Gaza, Ammon, Moab, Ethiopia, Egypt and Assyria came to pass. Jerusalem had ample reasons to believe that the Lord would fulfill His prophetic words to them. But, no, they continued to rise up each day to do evil.

“Therefore, wait for Me, says the Lord, until the day I rise up for plunder. My determination is to gather the nations to My assembly of kingdoms, to pour on them My indignation, all My fierce anger. All the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy. For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that they all may call on the Name of the Lord, to serve Him with one accord.” Zephaniah 3:8-9

This prophecy aligns with what Jesus revealed to John in Revelation 7:9-10. John saw a great multitude which no one could number from all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. These people have a new language. It is a language of praise unto the Lord. They serve the Lord with one accord. Where did they come from? Revelation 7:14-15 says that they came out of the great tribulation by the blood of the Lamb.

Many will be saved by the Lord during seasons of great tribulations.

“From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, the daughter of My dispersed one’s, shall bring My offering. In that day you shall not be shamed for any of your deeds in which you transgress against Me. For then I will take away from your midst those who rejoice in your pride, and you shall no longer be haughty in My holy mountain. I will leave in your midst a meek and humble people, and they shall trust in the Name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness and speak no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth. For they shall feed their flocks and lie down, and no one shall make them afraid.” Zephaniah 3:10-13

What is the outcome of seasons of tribulation? The answer is refinement. The Lord shall have Messianic Jewish worshippers come from as far away as Ethiopia back to Jerusalem. Meekness and humility will replace pride. Faith in God will replace doubt. No deceit shall be found in their mouths. In Revelation 14:1-4, the Lord speaks of 144,000 followers of Christ. They are from the twelve tribes of Israel. Revelation 14:5 says, “In their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.”

“Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst. You shall see disaster no more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: ‘Do not fear; Zion. Let not your hands be weak. The Lord your God in your midst. The Mighty One will save. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:14-17

Why should the daughters of Jerusalem sing, shout, be glad and rejoice with all their hearts? The Lord took away their judgments. He cast out their accuser. God is among them. Revelation 21:4 says, “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

A glorious day is coming for believers in Christ. Colossians 2:13-15 proclaims that we who were dead in trespasses, God makes alive together with Christ. He forgave our trespasses. Christ wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us. He nailed our crimes to the cross. He triumphed over them. Christ took away our judgment.

Thanks to Jesus we are saved. God rejoices over us with gladness. He calms us with His love. He rejoices over us with singing. All of this thanks to what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross.

“I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly, who are among you, to whom its reproach is a burden. Behold, at that time I will deal with all who afflict you. I will save the lame and gather those who were driven out. I will appoint them for praise and fame in every land where they were put to shame. At that time I will bring you back, even at the time I gather you. For I will give you fame and praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I return your captives before your eyes, says the Lord.” Zephaniah 3:18-20

The captives in Babylon sorrowed because they wanted to join with other believers in worship to the Lord. God promised to deal with those who mistreated them due to their love for Him. God promised to honor the lame and the outcast whom the proud had despised.

In John 12:26, Jesus said, “If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.” We should honor the Lord no matter how inhumanely ungodly people treat us. The Lord turned things around for His servants in the past, and He will do it again, especially when He welcomes us into heaven.

Zephaniah means “Hidden by God.” That’s the place to be! In Colossians 3:2-4, Paul wrote, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”

God’s Strong Love Sustains

“The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw. ‘O Lord, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear? Even cry out to You, ‘Violence!’ and You will not save. Why do You show me iniquity and cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me. There is strife, and contention arises. Therefore the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround, the righteous. Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.” Habakkuk 1:1-3

Habakkuk was burdened because the Lord revealed to him violence, iniquity, plundering, trouble, strife, contention, lawlessness and injustice. The wicked surrounded the righteous like thorns that strangle food producing plants. Habakkuk hungered and thirsted for righteousness.

Habakkuk means embrace. He wanted to embrace people. Accept them! Love them! But he could not embrace sin, so he carried his burden to the Lord. Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you. He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”

“Look among the nations and watch—be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you. For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans, a bitter and hasty nation which marches through the breadth of the earth to possess dwelling places that are not theirs. They are terrible and dreadful. Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves. Their horses also are swifter than leopards, and more fierce than evening wolves. Their chargers charge ahead. Their cavalry comes from afar. They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat. They all come for violence. Their faces are set like the east wind. They gather captives like sand. They scoff at kings, and princes are scorned by them. They deride every stronghold, for they heap up earthen mounds and seize it.” Habakkuk 1:5-10

The Lord showed Habakkuk the Chaldeans. They were going to grow up and become mighty. The Lord compared their war horses to swift leopards and fierce wolves. They swoop upon prey like eagles. They are like the east wind that destroys. They take people captive. They mock kings, princes, and fortresses because they know how to overcome them. They are going to use their military might to make land grabs and to plunder the wealth of nations.

“Then his mind changes, and he transgresses. He commits offense, ascribing this power to his god.” Habakkuk 1:11

The Chaldeans were the elite people of Babylon. They erred when they ascribed their victories to their idols. God used their greed to chastise the nations that had abandoned Him. In John 19:11, Jesus told Pilate, “You would have no authority over Me at all unless it had been given you from above.” God allowed Pilate the authority to crucify His Son to fulfill the prophecies spoken about Messiah. The Chaldeans should have given glory to God.

After being humbled by the Lord, the king of Babylon did glorify the Lord. In Daniel 4:37, he said, “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are right and His ways are just, and those who walk in pride He is able to humble.” This event came to pass after his military victories, and after he ruled over nations.

“Are You not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O Lord, You have appointed them for judgment. O Rock, You have marked them for correction. You are of purer eyes than to behold evil and cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, and hold Your tongue when the wicked devours a person more righteous than he? Why do You make men like fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler over them? They take up all of them with a hook. They catch them in their net and gather them in their dragnet. Therefore they rejoice and are glad. Therefore they sacrifice to their net and burn incense to their dragnet because by them their share is sumptuous and their food plentiful. Shall they therefore empty their net, and continue to slay nations without pity?” Habakkuk 1:12-17

Habakkuk asked the Lord about His justice, “Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, and hold Your tongue.” He lamented before the Lord because powerful people were fishing for weak people with hooks and nets. These human traffickers made sacrifices and offerings to their weapons (nets) because by them they seized people and acquired an abundance of sumptuous food. These beast-like people showed no mercy to their victims.

Lamenting before Lord is a frequently used approach that God’s people use when dealing with problems that are too great for them to resolve. Galatians 4:19 says, “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.” Paul knew that only Christ could make people more Christlike. In Ezekiel 9:4, the Lord told His angel to, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that be done the midst thereof.” God spared His sighers.

“I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected. Then the Lord answered me and said: ‘Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” Habakkuk 2:1-3

In Habakkuk 1:12-17, Habakkuk prayed. Here in Habakkuk 2:1-3, he watches. In Matthew 26:41, Jesus urged His disciples to watch and pray. Habakkuk watched to see what the Lord would say to him. The Lord showed him a vision of writing tablets. The Lord told Habakkuk to write His Word on tablets so people could read them and run with them.

“Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him, but the just shall live by his faith. Indeed, because he transgresses by wine. He is a proud man, and he does not stay at home. Because he enlarges his desire as hell, and he is like death, and cannot be satisfied, he gathers to himself all nations and heaps up for himself all peoples. Will not all these take up a proverb against him, and a taunting riddle against him, and say, ‘Woe to him who increases what is not his—how long? And to him who loads himself with many pledges?’ Will not your creditors rise up suddenly? Will they not awaken who oppress you? And you will become their booty. Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the people shall plunder you, because of men’s blood and the violence of the land and the city, and of all who dwell in it.” Habakkuk 2:4-8

The phrase, “the just shall live by faith” is quoted in Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews 10:38. Habakkuk wrote: “Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith.” Proud people refuse to admit their need for God. They trust in themselves. They justify themselves. The just live by faith in God’s Messiah. Jesus Christ is the Savior of sinners.

In Habakkuk 2:5-8, the Lord describes the deeds of the proud. He transgresses by wine. He does not stay at home – not a family man! He heaps up people for himself. The Lord says that this debtor’s creditors will rise up against him. They will oppress and rob him. They plundered others. Others shall plunder them. They must pay for the blood that they have shed.

“Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of disaster! You give shameful counsel to your house, cutting off many peoples, and sin against your soul. For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the timbers will answer it.” Habakkuk 2:9-11

Having an abundance of material things and having one’s nest in a lofty place doesn’t guarantee a happily ever after. Psalm 147:10-11 says, “His [God’s] delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor His pleasure in the legs of a man, but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His steadfast love.” God loves us! He wants us to trust in His love for us.

“Woe to him who builds a town with bloodshed, who establishes a city by iniquity! Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts that the peoples labor to feed the fire, and nations weary themselves in vain? For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” Habakkuk 2:12-14

People wearied themselves in vain. Jeremiah 5:25 says, “Your sins have kept good things from you.” Their society was built on violence. Such societies shall vanish. One day soon, the earth shall “be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”

“Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor, pressing him to your bottle, even to make him drunk, that you may look on his nakedness! You are filled with shame instead of glory. You also—drink! And be exposed as uncircumcised! The cup of the Lord’s right hand will be turned against you, and utter shame will be on your glory. For the violence done to Lebanon will cover you, and the plunder of beasts which made them afraid, because of men’s blood and the violence of the land and the city, and of all who dwell in it.” Habakkuk 2:15-17

Babylon ruled over many lands and people, but for what good? Did they help them? Did they love them? No, they made them drunk so they could gaze at their nakedness. Human traffickers hook people on drugs and pornography to enslave them. Who will bring them down?

“What profit is the image, that its maker should carve it, the molded image, a teacher of lies, that the maker of its mold should trust in it, to make mute idols? Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ To silent stone, ‘Arise! It shall teach!’ Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet in it there is no breath at all. But the Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him.” Habakkuk 2:18-20

The Babylonians promoted idolatry. Idols cannot speak. They have no breath. They do nothing for those who trust in them except put them at odds with the true Creator of the universe.

“A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth. ‘O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was afraid. O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known. In wrath remember mercy.’” Habakkuk 3:1-2

Shigionoth (שִׁגְיֹנוֹת) is a Hebrew musical or poetic term conveying intense joy amidst trouble. [1]

The Lord’s Words of judgment on sin struck fear in the heart of Habakkuk. He asked the Lord to revive His work. He asked the Lord to remember mercy while executing justice. The Lord IS very merciful. It was Babylon and their allies that lacked mercy.

“God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran – Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise. His brightness was like the light. He had rays flashing from His hand, and there His power was hidden. Before Him went pestilence, and fever followed at His feet. He stood and measured the earth. He looked and startled the nations. And the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills bowed. His ways are everlasting. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; the curtains of the land of Midian trembled.” Habakkuk 3:3-7

Teman is south of Judah. Mount Paran is in that area. Mount Paran is near Mount Sinai where God gave His Law to Moses. God came to the people of Habakkuk’s day from the perspective of His Law which they had failed to keep. The sanctions of pestilence and fever which God placed on them was in accordance with His Law in Leviticus 26:16 and Deuteronomy 28:21-22.

“O Lord were You displeased with the rivers, was Your anger against the rivers, was Your wrath against the sea, that You rode on Your horses, Your chariots of salvation? Your bow was made quite ready. Oaths were sworn over Your arrows – Selah. You divided the earth with rivers. The mountains saw You and trembled. The overflowing of the water passed by. The deep uttered its voice and lifted its hands on high. The sun and moon stood still in their habitation. At the light of Your arrows they went at the shining of Your glittering spear. You marched through the land in indignation. You trampled the nations in anger. You went forth for the salvation of Your people, for salvation with Your Anointed. You struck the head from the house of the wicked, by laying bare from foundation to neck – Selah. You thrust through with his own arrows the head of his villages. They came out like a whirlwind to scatter me. Their rejoicing was like feasting on the poor in secret. You walked through the sea with Your horses, through the heap of great waters.” Habakkuk 3:8-15

Habakkuk sees the Lord as a mighty warrior who marches through the land. “You went forth for the salvation of Your people, for salvation with Your Anointed.” The devil wanted to destroy the Jews because Christ was to come from their race. The Lord preserved them.

“When I heard, my body trembled. My lips quivered at the voice. Rottenness entered my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble. When he comes up to the people, he will invade them with his troops.” Habakkuk 3:16

This prophecy impacts Habakkuk physically. His body trembles. His lips quiver. His bones feel rotten inside. The Lord showed him that Babylon would temporarily prevail over his people.

“Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls—yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills. To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.” Habakkuk 3:17-19

What did the Lord do for Habakkuk? He gave him peace and joy despite his circumstances. Though food was in short supply, Habakkuk declared, “I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength. He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills.” God helped Habakkuk to navigate past the problems.

God has not changed. Thanks to His grace we have peace and joy amidst chaotic circumstances. We live justly and love mercy in a world full of injustice and cruelty by faith in God’s grace.

In Romans 8:35-39, Paul wrote, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long. We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God’s love for us is amply wide and deep enough to sustain us. “This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget that though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.” [2]


[1] – Google resources
[2] “This is My Father’s World” hymn by Maltbie D. Babcock