The Deeper Magic

Dreams

Does God still speak in visions and dreams?

It’s such a creative way of communicating. There’s all these little snippets in Biblical history… are we open to that?

I believe my wife is often prophetic… and her dreams may well be… I wish she remembered them.

Because I hear the highlights. I started a dream journal for her, just from what she says aloud.

This wasn’t about forks or transformers. Maybe it was about one of you. If you’re convicted… let me know.

The only things I know of the dream is two words. And they were spoken in the sonorous tones of an Old Testament prophet.

Debauchery. No!!!

Visions and Dreams

Zechariah 1:1 ESV

1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying,

“I saw in the night.” Maybe dreams? Maybe “Divine Imagination?” Maybe waking visions?

But he lays out the goal of the book. After the judgment against Israel culminating in the exile to Babylon, God has brought his people back to the land. God is eager to restore covenant with them. New temple, and even Messiah and all the fulfillment of prophecy.

Zechariah, stands with Haggai, encouraging the people to rebuild the temple. But more than that, he focuses on the coming fulfillment of all the prophecies.

Zechariah 1:2–3 ESV

2 “The Lord was very angry with your fathers. 3 Therefore say to them, Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.

Return to me and I will return to you. Remember that.

Then he has these visions. The “word of the Lord comes to him. And it is in this really cool structure, but primarily focused and directed to the people of his day.

He has visions about God and the nations (that’s external), the judgment on Israel in the past (internal), and the coming fulfillment of all things (both internal and external). And then some Messianic prophecy in the middle.

And these prophecies are arranged in what’s called a “chiasm.” That is where the first vision matches the last, the second matches the second to last, etc… like walked up stairs to a pinnacle and then down the other side.

Chiastic Visions

A lightning fast journey through the visions.

First and last, he sees horsemen.

Horsemen

Zechariah 1:8 ESV

8 “I saw in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in the glen, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses.

Similar vision in chapter 6

Zechariah 6:1 ESV

1 Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four chariots came out from between two mountains. And the mountains were mountains of bronze.

These horsemen / chariots patrol the world and God is angry at them and will judge the nations.

Horns and Winged Women

Zechariah 1:18 ESV

18 And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four horns!

Weird, but the horns symbolize Babylon that scattered Israel, and then blacksmiths come to shatter the horns, and that’s Persia.

And the second to last vision is similar.

There’s this women in a basket which is “Israel’s iniquity” and then...

Zechariah 5:9 ESV

9 Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, two women coming forward! The wind was in their wings. They had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven.

And they take it off into Shinar (aka Babylon).

Weird.

New Jerusalem

But the 3rd and 3rd to last ones are great!

Zechariah 2:1–2 ESV

1 And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand! 2 Then 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.”

This is the building of the new Jerusalem, the promise fulfilled of the LORD choosing and fully restoring Jerusalem. This is reminiscent of Ezekiel’s extensive descriptions of the new temple and new Jerusalem as it will be in new creation.

He has a similar, but more symbolic vision in chapter 5. A flying scroll, huge, and it cleans out the city of everyone who steals or lies. The city is made perfect.

Zechariah 5:2 ESV

2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits.”

So Zechariah, in vivid imagery, he sees to the truth of the matter. In symbolic visions, he sees the underlying spiritual realities.

He sees that God will judge the nations. That hasn’t changed.

He sees the past sin of humanity and God’s efforts to restore his people.

He sees the ultimate future of God’s promise yet to come. New heaven and new earth, new Jerusalem.

And the question is: what now? What is God going to do now? Will he now restore his people and bring Messiah, the Son of Man, the descendant of David?

And so these two middle visions are parallel, and our focus for the next two weeks.

Yeshua (aka Joshua) the high priest.

And Zerubabbel. The governor, possibly a king or sub king, a descendant of David.

Two very Messianic characters.

And the first thing we want to see is that God opens Zechariah’s eyes to see the spiritual reality here.

To see the deeper truth.

Joshua and Zerubabbel

Zechariah 3:1–5 ESV

1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. 4 And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” 5 And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by.

Now Joshua has a tough job. He is high priest… but there’s no temple yet. They’ve started some ceremonies back up… but he isn’t able to do all the things, and many of the things he has been asked to do he is failing at.

In fact it is ridiculous to ask someone to be high priest… even if everyone else is fooled, they have to know they aren’t worthy. And Scripture isn’t shy about calling out all his ancestors unworthy. And here he is failing to rebuild the temple and getting called out by the likes of Haggai and Zechariah.

The litany of failure must be real. And it seems like a political problem, a “religious” problem even, maybe a solvable practical problem.

But Zechariah sees the “real” problem.

Zechariah 3:1 ESV

1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.

Satan, standing at his right hand to accuse him.

What was it Camille shared last week? “Don’t let Satan get inside your head!”

We don’t see what Joshua is thinking here… but Zechariah shows the truth of what is going on. It is Satan, aka “adversary” whispering words of accusation at him.

Probably pointing out true things. Your robes are dirty. Physically, metaphorically, spiritually. And it’s all true, God doesn’t dispute that.

God doesn’t answer the accusation. He just fixes the problem. He clothes Yeshua in robes white as snow. (More about that next week).

You could send Joshua to the BEST counselors and address all his practical problems, perhaps… but as long as Satan is standing at his side accusing him, it isn’t going to be solved.

It takes God rebuking Satan and fixing the real issue.

Spiritual problems require spiritual solutions.

Similarly, chapter 5 focuses in on Zerubabbel. Both of them in a way, they are pictured as two olive trees, anointed ones of God, giving oil to the lamp oof Israel.

And all the pressure Joshua is under??? Zerbabbel is in the same point. But he isn’t the “priest” guy, he’s the “leader” governor guy. If anyone is supposed to solve the practical issues of building and resettling and leading these people, it’s him.

And talk about an administrative task. The details, the planning, the transporting of all the people and materials, budgetting… this is all an incredibly practical task.

And, recall, he needs to solve the political issues, writing to the king to counter the claims of the Samaritans who have blocked the building of the temple…

And to all of that, God gives Zechariah this message for Zerbabbel.

Zechariah 4:3–5 ESV

3 And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.” 4 And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.”

Zechariah 4:6 ESV

6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.

And if there’s a theme verse to all Zechariah, it is this. Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit.

You may think this is a practical problem you have to solve through effort, through intellect, through administration, through appropriate application of force… through try hard.

But you’re wrong.

It isn’t going to be solved by your strength. By your might.

It isn’t a question of power, yours or the kings, or the people’s.

Spiritual problems require spiritual solutions.

Spiritual problems require Spirit solutions.

Paul put it this way:

Ephesians 6:12 ESV

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Spiritual problems require Spirit solutions.

So, herein lies the answer to ALL your problems. Yay!

First and foremost, you need the Spirit of God, and pursuing all of the ways by which you are filled with the Spirit, all the ways in which you hear and actually listen to the Spirit of God. Yes, in prayer, Yes, through His Word, Yes, through fellowship with and counsel from other believers listening to His Spirit. Yes, through Spirit-filled worship.

All of the ways, we know the ways, we get tricked by thinking “oh, this problem is in a different category.” “This is a work thing, school thing, government thing, financial thing, anxiety thing, emotional thing, psychological thing...” Okay, it may be all of those… but if it is at all important, it is first a spiritual thing and the rest follows.

Seek first the spirit. Not by might, not by power, but by His Spirit.

Note: it doesn’t say that then everything will be easy. There may be a spiritual battle. You may be in the right place and in the right Spirit and God has called to do a hard thing. To walk a hard road. To fight a battle, not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. To persevere.

It doesn’t say that it will then be easy. But if you are in the Spirit… well, you know who wins.

God, would you give us eyes to see Spiritual truth. Dreams and visions, discernment, to see the deeper truths in our “everyday” lives. To those Satan is accusing, rebuke Satan, Lord, and let us see it! Let us see your victory. To those struggling and striving, whatever the battleground looks like… may we turn our eyes to you, Lord. May we see and hear and even listen to your Spirit… that we would stand where you would have us stand… and so stand in Your victory!